The discovery of four dead dogs – including 2 burned puppies – has led to the arrests of two people in Shelby County.

Tiffany Laurissa Byrd, 22, and Michael Lawton Ward, 24, are each charged with four counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, according to court records made public this week.

Charging documents against the pair state the dogs were tortured and killed between Dec. 30 and Jan. 1.  Authorities found four dead dogs at the Montevallo home, three of which were puppies.

According to the criminal complaint, two of the puppies were “thrown into a burn pile and burned.” The other puppy was found dead tied up in a plastic bag on the front porch.

Documents do not state what happened to the adult dog. Repeated efforts to reach Montevallo police for additional details were unsuccessful.

Byrd and Ward were booked into the Shelby County Jail Monday with bonds set at $60,000 each. Byrd was released later that day and Ward was released on Tuesday.