State police filed charges against two Armstrong County women for allegedly abandoning six dogs, including three puppies, at a home in Clay Township.

Heidi Sue Dunkle, 52, and Tiara M. Dunkle, 31, both of Kittanning, were charged Thursday after police were alerted to the dogs on Aug. 1.

Troopers responded to 147 Queen Junction Road in Clay Township for a report of multiple dogs tied to the porch, and found six dogs that appeared to be border collies tied to the porch, according to an affidavit.

No one was living at the house, but a relative of the property owner and a neighbor, who called police, were waiting there, police said. They reported they never saw the dogs before, police said.

The neighbor said she believed the dogs had been left there the previous night, and she heard the dogs barking that day, police said.

Police said the dogs were filthy, covered in feces and urine stains, and several had severely matted fur. None of the dogs had tags on their collars or had microchips for identification, police said.

After being taken to a shelter, one of the puppies was found to have urine scalding on its skin from sitting in its urine for extended periods of time and one adult had mange, police said.

Police said they investigated and identified Heidi and Tiara Dunkle as the owners. Their preliminary hearings were not scheduled as of Thursday.

Both were charged with two misdemeanor counts and four summary counts of neglect of animals, and six summary counts of failing to license a dog over 3 months old.