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Bryanna Wagner, a 23-year-old from Leesport, brought a dog to Zoe’s House Rescue in Sinking Spring on May 7, police said. The animal, who rescue workers took to calling "Sadie," was in "rough shape" at the time of her rescue, the team said on Facebook.
She couldn't stand, she had recently given birth, she had developed a "raging" uterine infection, her body was "septic," and she weighed half as much as she should have, Zoe's House said.
Because she had recently birthed, police say Wagner returned to the roadside to search for the puppies. She later returned with them dead in a plastic bag, troopers said.
Sadie was eventually euthanized when her condition worsened, Daily Voice reported.
Now, investigators say Wagner did not find the dog but owned her all along.
"The puppies were stillborn a few days earlier and kept in a bag in Wagner’s garage," state police wrote. "Wagner admitted to calling Bern Township Police Department and telling them she had found the dog in Mohrsville."
Wagner is charged with aggravated cruelty to an animal, neglect of an animal, false reports, and tampering with evidence, troopers said.
Her bail was set at $75,000 and she is scheduled to return to court on June 20, according to court records.
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