2 men accused of starving puppies to death appear in court

HAVELOCK, NC (AP) — Two Havelock men have appeared in court after police found five dead and dying puppies in a locked shed at their home.

Local media outlets report 25-year-old Jamie Parris and 24-year-old Ronald Lyons are charged with five counts of felony animal cruelty resulting in death. Authorities say the puppies starved to death.

Parris and Lyons are free on $25,000 bond. It’s not known if they have attorneys.

Havelock police said they received an anonymous tip of possible animal neglect at a home and were told the 2 1/2 month old Husky mix puppies were in a locked shed. When police arrived, they found three puppies were dead while two others had to be euthanized.

Police say the men voluntarily surrendered the dogs remaining in their home to animal control.

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