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Woman put puppies in backpack, swung them around bar, police say

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. — A South Florida woman is accused of putting a Chihuahua and its four 4-week-old puppies into a backpack and swinging it around a bar, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

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Teresa Gardner, 27, was arrested at 3:12 a.m. Sunday by Broward County sheriff's deputies after the incident at the Briny Irish Pub in Pompano Beach, the newspaper reported. She was charged on multiple counts, including tormenting animals and resisting arrest, WTVJ reported.

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According to an arrest report, witnesses saw Gardner swinging the backpack and slamming it on tables and benches at the bar, the television station reported. When Gardner was stopped, deputies found the dogs trembling in the bag, the Sun-Sentinel reported.

"It's hard to understand why she would have animals in a bag like this. They could've died, I don't know why anyone would take puppies to a bar at all, it's a very bizarre situation," Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Gina Carter told WTVJ.

At a Monday morning hearing in court, Gardner denied the accusations, tearfully telling the judge "I didn't do that," the Sun-Sentinel reported.

The dogs were taken to an animal shelter, WSVN reported.