Police: Derry woman charged after dog found dead in 'extremely unsanitary' basement

A Derry Borough woman was released from jail Tuesday on aggravated animal cruelty charges after police said they found a dog that had died of dehydration in her basement, according to court papers.

Destiny F. Witherspoon, 25, posted $25,000 bail after being arrested and held at the Westmoreland County Prison since Friday evening.

Borough police were notified July 29 by a witness that Witherspoon went out of town five days earlier and left two of her pets with a sitter, but none for her dog named Dallas. The witness told investigators she went to Witherspoon’s home and found Dallas dead in a crate in the basement, according to court papers.

Police said the canine appeared to have been dead for several days amid an “extremely unsanitary” basement with garbage bags and trash lying around.

Firefighters were called in to remove the dog’s body “as there was so much trash in the house that there was no clear path of egress,” police wrote in an affidavit. A necropsy showed that the animal died from dehydration and a lack of veterinary care.

Police said there were foreign objects in the animal’s stomach.

Witherspoon could not be reached. She did not have an attorney listed in online court records. An. Aug. 17 preliminary hearing is set.