Woman Claiming to Run Charity Animal Rescue Charged with Felony Animal Cruelty After 14 Dogs Covered in Feces, Suffering from Parasites Rescued from Locked Car on Fourth of July

Woman Claiming to Run Charity Animal Rescue Charged with Felony Animal Cruelty After 14 Dogs Covered in Feces, Suffering from Parasites Rescued from Locked Car on Fourth of July

SANTA ANA - A 33-year-old woman claiming to run a charity animal rescue has been charged with felony animal cruelty after 14 dogs, many of them caged and covered in feces without any access to water, were rescued from her locked car parked in the sun in Newport Beach on the Fourth of July.

Several of the dogs were suffering from heat distress, thirteen of the puppies suffered from intestinal parasites, and a six-week-old Golden Retriever puppy that was rescued from the car in critical condition due to severe untreated parasites had to be euthanized. The woman was also caught on video dragging a dead dog out of her car and dumping the dog's body in the bushes in Irvine.

Priscilla Martin, 33, has been charged with three felony counts of animal cruelty by a caretaker, 11 misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty by a caretaker, and one misdemeanor count of putting the carcass of a dead animal on the road. She faces a maximum sentence of 15 years and 10 months in state prison if convicted on all counts.

Martin pleaded not guilty on Thursday, July 23, 2026. Orange County Superior Court Commissioner Eric Issac ordered Martin released from custody without having to post bail over the objection of Orange County prosecutors who had argued bail should be increased to $50,000 due to the seriousness of the charges. She was ordered not to have access to any animals.

On July 4, 2026, the Newport Beach Police Department received a call regarding multiple dogs locked in a vehicle. Officers found 18 dogs inside the vehicle, including 14 dogs in wire crates and plastic carriers in extremely unsanitary conditions without water and covered in feces. Thirteen of the 14 dogs seized by Newport Beach Animal Control were puppies, including two six-week-old Golden Retriever puppies that were rescued from the vehicle in critical condition due to untreated parasites. One of the Golden Retriever puppies was euthanized and the other is recovering from its injuries.

On July 13, 2026, a dead dog recovered by the Irvine Police Department had a microchip that returned to Priscilla Martin. Video footage shows Martin pulling into a parking lot, dragging the body of a dead dog out of her vehicle, and leaving it in the bushes. A necropsy determined the dog died of heat stroke, consistent with being left in a hot car.

Martin was located in Costa Mesa on July 22, 2026, with 14 more dogs in her vehicle and arrested on suspicion of animal cruelty. The 14 dogs were taken from Martin's vehicle by the Costa Mesa Police Department and are undergoing health evaluations.
Martin advertises on social media that she runs a 501c3 non-profit animal rescue K9 Paws Rescue, Inc. (aka Canine Paws Rescue, Inc). The California Attorney General's Registry of Charities and Fundraisers does not have a record of K9 Paws Rescue, Inc. or Canine Paws Rescue, Inc. as required to qualify for 501c3 status.

"Every living being deserves a safe home with the basic necessities of life. Despite our compassion for the homeless, it does not excuse subjecting defenseless animals to inhumane conditions," said Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. "The abuse of animals will never be tolerated, and anyone who engages in violence or neglect against animals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Deputy District Attorney Danica Drotman of the Animal Cruelty Unit is prosecuting this case.

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