Two people have been arrested and are now facing felony charges in connection to an animal cruelty investigation in Mercedes.

Five dogs were rescued.

"One of them was not only thin where you could see ribs but was completely covered in ticks I mean its hind legs, its bottom area, its ears, its face,” said Mercedes Police Chief Dagoberto Chavez Jr.

Juan Pedraza and Irene Machuca are each charged with 5 counts of animal cruelty.

The dogs are currently receiving care at an animal shelter.