MAHONING COUNTY, Ohio - A woman who was accused of starving several dogs to the point they were eating each other to survive failed to appear in court for her arraignment Tuesday morning.

A warrant has been issued for 59-year-old Denise Wiggins after she failed to appear for her arraignment hearing in the Mahoning County Court Tuesday morning.

Wiggins was set to be arraigned on 24 counts of cruelty to companion animals.

The charges stem from an investigation of a home and trailer in Smith Township conducted by Animal Charity and local police that revealed 10 to 12 dead dogs and two that were still alive and starving.

Animal Charity Coordinator Jane MacMurchy previously told 21 News several of the dogs were partially dismembered because they were starving to the point that they had begun eating each other to survive.

Police said the house was covered in stacks of feces to the point where conditions were "unbearable" and "very hard to breathe" in. 

Police say Wiggins admitted that she knew everything that was going on, but did not address the issue because she was "too embarrassed" to ask for help.

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