LORAIN — Police are looking for a 48-year-old Lorain woman who allegedly left a dog and eight puppies without food or water in a filthy apartment.

Tracy E. Tenore has not yet been served with charges of cruelty to animals, abandoning animals or failure to obtain a dog license, Lorain police Detective Sgt. Mark Carpentiere said, because officers haven’t been able to find her.

Tenore’s former landlord found the dogs in an apartment in the 2200 block of West 23rd Street at about 2 p.m. Friday while trying to serve an eviction notice on a former tenant, according to a police report. It was unclear how long the dogs had been left unattended.

The Labrador mix and her eight puppies were taken to Friendship Animal Protective League, where they ate “as if they had not been fed in days,” according to a police report.

Neighbors told police that Tenore might be staying in the Econo Lodge in Elyria, but police were unable to find her when they checked the hotel, Carpentiere said.

The landlord has asked that Tenore also be charged with criminal damaging because of the condition of residence, police reported.

Denise Willis, the supervising humane officer at the APL, said the protective league was caring for the animals for the Lorain police on Monday.

Willis said she did not know when the dogs might be available for adoption, but the pups, who are about four to five weeks, are still too young to be separated from their mother.

She said Lorain’s animal control officer Michael Mattei will take responsibility for the dogs today.

Contact Cindy Leise at 329-7245  or cleise@chroniclet.com.

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