A Taunton man is facing an animal cruelty charge after a police officer discovered a skeletal puppy in his car during a traffic stop last month, according to police.

The driver and dog owner — 27-year-old Devin Preeper — has been sent a summons to appear in Brockton District Court on Dec. 23 to be arraigned on the charge, West Bridgewater police said in a press release Tuesday .

The charge stems from a Nov. 24 traffic stop in West Bridgewater that occurred shortly before noon, police said. A West Bridgewater police officer pulled Preeper’s vehicle over after noticing him run a red light on North Main Street.

While interacting with Preeper, the officer spotted “what appeared to be a significantly underweight dog” inside his vehicle, police said. Following the traffic stop, Sprout — the

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