Two people were arrested on animal cruelty charges after police found 18 dogs, most of which were emaciated, in an Erie home on Thursday.
Tiana Bell, 37, faces 19 counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals and one count of unlawful ownership of a dangerous dog, according to online court records. Dandre Fears, 36, faces 18 counts of cruelty to animals, according to an Erie police release.
Bell and Fears are both in custody in the Weld County Jail, according to online jail records.
On Monday, an Erie police animal control officer responded to a report of a “severely malnourished and underweight” dog that had been found in the 1300 block of Reliance Place, according to the release. The dog did not have a collar or a microchip and was taken to the Humane Society of Boulder Valley to be evaluated by a veterinarian.
At the time, a witness shared information with police that led police to believe other animals were being kept in similar conditions, the release said. Investigators obtained a search warrant for a nearby home and seized the 18 dogs on Thursday. The majority of the dogs were “neglected and emaciated,” the release said.
Bell is scheduled for a hearing on bond at 2 p.m. Friday, according to online court records. Fears has not yet been scheduled for a court appearance.