A Grand Island animal shelter is caring for nearly 50 malnourished chickens after a police officer discovered them in the back of an SUV during a traffic stop.

The officer discovered nearly 100 chickens in the back of the vehicle around 1 a.m. Friday. Half of them were dead.

Grand Island Police Sgt., Bud Edwards, says he stopped the SUV because it was driving in the dark without headlights. The driver, 36-year-old Luis Motola-Palacio of Grand Island, was arrested on suspicion of second offense DUI.

The live birds were taken to the Central Nebraska Humane Society, where officials determined the birds weren’t being fed properly and that many are missing feathers.

Officials are weighing whether to charge Motola-Palacio with animal cruelty.