Officials said Jennifer Karr of Corbin allowed her dogs to nearly starve to death, and has been charged with animal cruelty.

With almost every bone visible, one of the puppies is struggling to survive.

According to neighbors, the Laurel County Sheriff's Office visited the home on lakeside road in Corbin and forced the home owner to relinquish the dogs.

“I can't imagine if she could do this to an animal, what she wouldn't do to her child, because to me they're the same. A child has to have us as adults to speak for them, as do animals,” said Jamie Medlin.

Other neighbors along with Medlin found the dogs chained up in a home owner's back yard and knew they had to do something about it.

“[The Laurel County Sheriff’s deputies] were out there within 20 minutes of the call. The animal shelter also came about an hour later. The animal shelter has one of the dogs the other two are in foster care,” said Medlin.

Williamsburg Veterinarian Mike Culvert's report stated the dogs had mange and internal parasite.

He said that without help, one of the dogs would have died in a matter of days.

“We're just asking that they'll contact the county attorney and that this woman will get justice for the treatment of these animals,” said Medlin.

Officials said it was a kind of treatment that could have cost these pets their lives.