BURNSVILLE, Minnesota. — A Rosemount woman is facing charges after police found two dead dogs in an apartment she was renting in Burnsville.
According to the criminal complaint, the 38-year-old woman is accused of two counts of animal cruelty.
On June 11, police were called to an apartment where a bad odor had been reported. The court document stated that the property manager opened the front door to officers, who found a dead dog at the bottom of the stairs and another dead dog upstairs.
According to the document, the entire unit was covered in what appeared to be dog feces and was empty.
According to the document, officers were not able to capture the 38-year-old until June 17, six days after the dead dogs were found.
An officer spoke to the woman on the phone, who said she had worked multiple jobs and long hours. The woman estimated she had last checked on her dogs around May 27, the document said.
She also told the officer that her vehicle had broken down and that she could not find a temporary home for the dogs, but that she did not want to give them up. The document stated that she had lost track of what had happened and had never returned to her apartment to care for her dogs.
On May 11, a neighbor called about barking dogs and saw no one, the document said. At that point, officers contacted the woman’s mother, who said the 38-year-old was working late. The mother said she would take her to the hospital.
Each charge carries a maximum prison sentence of two years and a fine of up to $5,000.
