A couple has been charged with cruelty to animals after they reportedly neglected to provide multiple dogs, chickens and rabbits with food and water last month at a Roland residence.

Daniel L. Dennis, 40, and Nicole Dennis, 24, were each charged April 16 in Sequoyah County District Court. Daniel Dennis received a $6,000 bond while Nicole Dennis received a $5,000 bond. Both are now scheduled for a June 5 felony disposition docket, according to court records.

Roland Police officer Alex Cabrera reported he was dispatched to Carr Street in reference to an animal at large that Roland Animal Control was out with. He said he saw a husky mix dog that allegedly appeared malnourished and had matted hair, and the dog’s neck was bare from its collar rubbing on it.

Animal control advised they had fed the dog and it acted as if it hadn’t eaten in days, according to the affidavit.

A witness told authorities the dog had puppies and animal control had been to the residence before to remove some of them. The couple then reportedly got rabbits and chickens, and following an inspection and an eviction notice from their landlord, it was discovered that several of the animals were deceased. It was also noted in the affidavit that there was no water or food in the cages at that time, and some of the animals’ bodies had deteriorated into bones.

The officer reported finding several deceased chickens in a pen with some of their heads detached, and said there were bowls of water in the pen, but they were turned over or filled with dirty water, according to the affidavit.

Nicole Dennis alleged on March 21 that when she went to feed the chickens, some were missing their heads and had been torn apart. She claimed she had to run off several raccoons from the pen and a storage room. She said the dogs had already been moved because they had to be out of the residence by 5 p.m. that day after being evicted.

Daniel Dennis claimed the chickens had been dead for four to five days and that he hadn’t paid much attention to them because they were trying to move. He said the chickens belonged to his wife but that he helped feed and water them. When asked the last time he had fed or watered them, he said four or five days before. He also claimed to have gave some of the chickens away.

Daniel Dennis said the rabbits had been purchased for their children, and it had been about that long since he’d seen them alive as well.

He also told authorities they had one dog and six puppies, and that he would feed them a five-gallon bucket plus half of another. He also said that he fed and watered the chickens every other day.

Photos were taken of the animals, alive and deceased, and the dog was taken for veterinarian care where it was diagnosed with roundworms and whipworms and appeared okay other than being underfed.

District Attorney Jack Thorp said the crime is punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment for up to five years, or both, if convicted.