A local woman and her son have each been charged with aggravated cruelty to dogs after the Camden Police Department reportedly found several dead canines at their home.
According to a CPD affidavit, animal control officers were called to the home of Lynetra Ellis-Ross and Leeander Ellis on Jan. 25 in response to a complaint that at least two dogs at the residence were starving to death and two had died already as a result of starvation.
The ACOs reported that they had previously been to the residence on Oct. 26, 2022.
Upon arrival, officers allegedly found one dog in the home's back yard in poor condition and a bulldog mix that "was so weak that it could barely raise its head."
The dog later had to be euthanized according to the report.
The healthier dog was taken to the animal shelter and provided food and water.
The corpses of two dogs were also reportedly discovered, with one of the dogs still tied to a tree.
The police report states that the dogs' pens were soaked with water and no hay or blankets were included for warmth. It goes on to state that no food was in the pen and the only water available was from puddles of rainwater from recent storms.
According to the affidavit, the following day, a CPD detective was told by dispatchers that Ellis allegedly made multiple calls to the CPD and stated, "he was mad that the dogs were taken because he told them he fights those dogs."
Ross allegedly told CPD that the she did not own the dogs and that they belonged to the property owner. A CPD detective reportedly told her "she lived there and she had to have heard them and noticed that they were out there dying and needed some type of help."
On Jan. 26, Judge Edwin Keaton issued a warrant for the arrests of Ellis and Ross with a $15,000 cash bond for Ellis and $10,000 cash bond for Ross. They were both charged with three counts of aggravated cruelty.
Both have since been taken into custody and released on bond.
Ellis allegedly denied fighting the dogs to a CPD detective.