BUCKHANNON — Two Upshur County women have been arrested and charged with animal cruelty after deputies seized more than 80 dogs being kept in “deplorable conditions” earlier this week.

“On Thursday, October 6, 2022, Rebecca Clark, age 41, and Denise Clark, age 61, of 2269 Selbyville Road, Rock Cave, W.Va. were arrested on one count each of animal cruelty, operating an unregistered kennel and conspiracy,” according to a press release from the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office. “Both were arraigned before Magistrate [Mark] Davis and released on a $5,000 bond.”

The arrests were made three days after law enforcement officers seized dozens of dogs being kept in a single wide trailer on Selbyville Road while serving a search warrant Monday.

“On the morning of October 3, 2022, Upshur County Sheriff’s deputies, Upshur County Animal Control and Lewis County Animal Control executed a search warrant on Selbyville Road in Upshur County,” the press release states. “The search warrant was for suspected unlicensed breeding of dogs and failure to pay dog taxes. As a result of the search, 80 dogs were seized inside a single wide trailer. The dogs were being kept in deplorable conditions.”

The latest incident comes more than two years after 40 dogs were seized from an Abbott Road residence, according to a previous story.