Omaha man sentenced to 5 days in jail for abandoning puppies in dumpster

OMAHA, Nebraska (WOWT) – A man accused of abandoning a litter of puppies in an Omaha dumpster was sentenced Tuesday.

Preston Woodall, 30, pleaded no contest to one count of animal cruelty – a misdemeanor – and was sentenced to five days in jail. As part of the agreement, nine counts of the same indictment and one similar count were dropped.

In February, two Omaha women reported that nine puppies and their mother had been left in a dumpster near their apartment complex. Based on license plate numbers and witness statements, a Douglas County Sheriff's Office investigation identified Woodall as a suspect.

Woodall was taken into custody when officers conducted a background check and found warrants for his arrest after he applied for a gun permit.

The puppies were all rescued and adopted, according to the Nebraska Humane Society, but the mother was euthanized. NHS officials say the dog exhibited behavioral issues in a foster home that made her unsuitable for adoption.

This is Woodall's second prison stint in less than a year. In October 2023, he pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license and spent five days behind bars for that incident as well. In that case, charges of refusing to sign a traffic ticket and failure to use brake lights were dropped.

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