Owners Charged with Animal Torture After 21 Dogs Allegedly Die at Boarding Facility By Sean Neumann

The owners of an upstate New York dog boarding facility have been arrested and charged with animal torture after police allege 21 dogs died while under their care this past weekend.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Department announced the charges against Robert Palulis and Anastasia Palulis on Tuesday, writing in a news release that the two owners have been charged with 22 misdemeanor counts of overdriving, torturing, and injuring animals, as well as failure to provide proper sustenance.

The charges were filed after the couple was arrested at Anastasia’s Acres Dog Boarding business in Argyle, New York on Sunday. Washington County Sheriff Jeffrey J. Murphy said in the office’s news release this week that police were called to the location on Sunday to check up on “a report of deceased dogs at the facility.”

“Upon investigation it was determined that 21 dogs in total were found deceased and one was taken to an emergency animal clinic for care,” the sheriff’s department said in its initial news release Sunday before charges were filed.

Officials said that “a veterinarian was on scene assisting investigators along with the Animal Control Officers for the Town of Argyle,” while detectives began investigating what led to the dogs’ deaths.

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The investifgation concluded the owners had “failed to provide adequate water and ventilation for the animals,” the sheriff’s department said in its update on Tuesday.

Authorities said Robert, 48, and Anastasia, 38, have since been released and are due to appear back in municipal court at a later date.

PEOPLE has reached out to the animal facility for comment but did not receive a response on Tuesday. The boarding facility’s website also appears to have been taken down as of Tuesday afternoon.