Police in Texas are investigating a serious case of animal cruelty after nine dogs were found in cages outside in the heat. One dog has since died.

The surviving dogs are recovering at the Giddings Animal Shelter outside Austin.

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“It was sad,” Manor Police Chief Ryan Phipps told FOX 7 Austin. “It was a sad situation.”

Manor police told FOX 7 Austin that officers found the dogs in temperatures of 104 degrees Fahrenheit with a heat index of 106 degrees Fahrenheit. The dogs were locked in cages in the suspect’s backyard with no food or water.

Two of the dogs were wearing sweaters at the time of the discovery. Neighbors said the dogs had been wearing the same sweaters since last winter.

Eyeisha Young, pictured here, left nine dogs in locked cages during the Texas summer heat. (Austin Police Department)

The ninth neglected dog died at a nearby animal hospital.

“Our officers love animals, and when you have to deal with animals in need, it’s a sad situation,” Police Chief Phipps told FOX 7 Austin.

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The dogs’ owner, Eyeisha Young, was arrested for leaving the dogs outside.

Ms. Young has the legal right to request that the dogs be returned to her under Texas law. A judge will make the final decision on the ultimate ownership of her dogs.

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The Manor Police Department plans to seek legal ownership of the remaining dogs through the courts so they can be put up for adoption.