FAYETTEVILLE -- Police say a woman was arrested Tuesday on accusations that she abandoned 18 dogs and a cat when she was evicted in July from a house in Elkins.
Amanda Denaro, 24, was arrested on counts of aggravated cruelty to animals. Denaro was released Tuesday from the Washington County jail on $5,000 bond.
The sheriff's office received a complaint about Denaro on July 7, according to an arrest warrant. Charles Hicks said Denaro had been evicted and left the animals at a house at 16387 Hicks Road. Hicks said most of the dogs were alive but some were dead.
Hicks told the sheriff's office he heard Denaro moved to New York and the animals had not been cared for since she left about July 5. He said he found seven puppies, two of them dead, at the house. He said he put the dead puppies in a freezer.
Melissa Metcalf, animal-control officer with the sheriff's office, went to the house, according to the affidavit. Metcalf said she had to kick trash out of the way to get the door to the back porch open. She found a dog bed that held the decomposing remains of a small dog. Metcalf said the house smelled of urine and there were 30-gallon trash bags filled with dog feces and puppy pads throughout the house.
Metcalf said 18 dogs and one cat were left at the house. Metcalf said every room was covered in trash and dog feces and there was no food or water for the animals.
The surviving animals were taken to the Washington County Animal Shelter.
Metro on 04/23/2020