DANVILLE, VA — A Danville couple faces animal cruelty charges after a malnourished dog was found dead in the yard of their apartment building.

Police responded to the 300 block of Edmonds Street about 11 p.m. Wednesday and found a dead German Shepherd inside a fenced in lot.

The owners, 30-year-old Michael Bolling and 22-year-old Sarah Simerly, are both charged with felony animal cruelty.

Another dog and a rabbit were taken from the owners. Police said the Doberman was in good condition but that a rabbit was slightly malnourished.

Both animals were taken to the Danville-Area Humane Society. The deceased dog was sent to Harrisonburg for a necropsy (animal autopsy) to help determine the cause of death.

Bolling and Simerly are being held in the Danville City Jail on a $1,500 secured bond.