MELCHER-DALLAS – A Marion County woman was arrested on Friday after authorities allegedly found multiple dead pets decomposing inside an apartment. 

According to court records, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office received a call on July 27 reporting a vacant apartment that appeared to have a dead dog inside. Law enforcement also received calls complaining about a bad odor and excessive bugs around the apartment, which was located in the 500 block of E Center Street in Melcher-Dallas.

Deputies responded to the apartment and found the body of a dog that was believed to have been lying in the apartment decomposing for a long period of time. While executing a search warrant of the apartment, authorities also found a dead cat in a bedroom.

Neighbors who were interviewed by law enforcement stated that the pets belonged to 32-year-old Brooklynn Showers. When asked by deputies about the animals, Showers reportedly said she had rehomed the dog in January when she moved in with her grandmother, and denied ever having a cat.

Court documents state that the dog and cat were taken to the Animal Health Center of Knoxville for necropsies, which showed that both animals suffered from severe malnourishment and had likely been dead for months before they were found.

Showers was arrested on September 25 and charged with two counts of Animal Neglect with Serious Injury or Death, an aggravated misdemeanor. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 6.