Two dogs abandoned in a vacant house in southern Newfoundland were found Monday by police.

A RCMP spokesman says police forced their way into a house in Dunville after receiving a report that starving animals were trapped inside. They discovered one emaciated dog was already dead and the other was barely alive.

"The house had animal feces on the floor around where they were tied. One dog was tied to a wall with a hook. The other dog was tied to an appliance with a leash underneath the leg of the appliance, left there with no food or water," said RCMP Sgt. Boyd Merrill.

Police said they're investigating a couple from the Placentia-Dunville area who moved out of the southern Avalon Peninsula region at a few weeks ago.

This dog was found dead in an abandoned house in Dunville, N.L. (RCMP) They said a cat that also lived in the house is missing. Merrill said it might have been eaten by the surviving dog, which was seized by the SPCA Monday and taken to a hospital for animals for treatment.

Police say they know who the former residents of the house are.

They say the matter is under investigation and criminal charges are possible.