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Ohio woman facing charges for starving two dogs locked in a cage together, one eats the other

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CANTON, Ohio — A 25-year-old Ohio woman has been charged for allegedly starving two dogs locked in a cage, causing one of the animals to eat the other after it died, according to court records.

Court records state that on or about April 5, Jessica J. Swinehart locked a beagle in a cage with a German shepherd-mix and starved the animals. When the beagle died, the other dog ate it to survive.

When authorities found the German shepherd, it appeared to have lost nearly two-thirds of its body weight. It was still locked in the cage with the decaying beagle.

An arrest warrant was filed April 8 and she was later arrested.

Swinehart has been charged with two counts of prohibitions concerning companion animals, a fifth-degree felony.

A future court date is pending.