EDGEWATER - A 3-week-old puppy that two teenagers allegedly were using as a football died Saturday morning, an animal hospital said.

Desirae McGee of Edgewater said she saw two boys throwing something back and forth Friday and realized it was an animal when she got closer. She said she grabbed the Pekingese from them and ran away.

The Pekingese, which was only about the length of a writing pen, was suffering from respiratory problems and had fluid filling its lungs - injuries consistent with having been thrown and grabbed at the neck, said Jamie Petsitis, a spokeswoman at Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital.

The hospital said the puppy died early Saturday.

Police operations Cmdr. Mike Marchese said the teens could face a felony charge of animal abuse.

Norm Renter, chief of investigations for the Dumb Friends League in Denver, said such acts are often seen as a precursor to domestic violence or child abuse.

"This is horribly disturbing," he said.