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ASPCA: Dogs Dead Before Being Set On Fire In Brooklyn

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An adult female pit bull and four puppies were already dead when they were placed in bags and set on fire last Saturday in Brooklyn, the ASPCA said in a statement.

The animals' remains were found inside a garbage bag on 91st Street near Ditmas Avenue near a beverage distribution warehouse in Canarsie.

Veterinarians at the Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital conducted necropsies and determined the adult pit bull died of "a complete mechanical obstruction of the small intestine," the ASPCA said.

The dog had recently swallowed a plastic object which caused two acute intestinal obstructions, the ASPCA said. She died before going into labor.

The four puppies -- three males and one female -- died when their mother died, the ASPCA said.

A surveillance camera from a nearby business apparently captured several men getting out of a van carrying a large black garbage bag, setting it on fire near a trash bin and then driving off.

Given the necropsy results, the ASPCA said there is nothing to indicate that this was an act of cruelty. The fire is being investigated by fire marshals.

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