An Aiken woman was charged Tuesday after police found a dog chained up in freezing weather and a frozen dead puppy in a cage.
Robyn Denise Bacon, 39, of Newberry Street, is charged with cruelty to animals, according Aiken Public Safety.
Aiken Public Safety officers responded to a Newberry Street residence for a safety check around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday and, upon arriving, saw a dog chained up in the backyard, according to the report.
Officers reported it was 15 degrees at the time and the dog was "shivering." They walked up to the dog and noticed a cage nearby, which had a puppy inside that was dead and "frozen solid," the report states.
The bottom of the cage was covered in "waste," which, police reported as appearing to be more than one days worth; and there was a plastic food container in the cage that was turned over and crushed.
Both animals were "very skinny" and investigators were able to see their ribs. There were two dog food bowls nearby, which were reported as being "dirty and dry," according to the report.
The dog that was still alive, which was a white female pit bull, was chained to a pole and had a "thin plastic dog house" with a very "small and tiny" sheet in the bottom of it, police reported.
Officers also reported the pit bull had several cuts and sores on her legs.
Both dogs were taken to the SPCA and Bacon was given a ticket for cruelty to animals, which included a court date, according to the report.
Lt. Karl Odenthal, with Aiken Public Safety, said Bacon was charged, but "other factors" caused officers to decide not to incarcerate her.
