The bodies of three dead puppies stowed in a plastic tote were found at the rented home of a woman charged with animal cruelty, hours after police announced the charges Monday.

Cleaners discovered the puppies in the tote in the garage of the Home Street house in Winnipeg's West End neighbourhood around 5 p.m. Monday, said Winnipeg police Const. Jay Murray.

The find came hours after police held a news conference announcing five animal cruelty-related charges had been laid against the woman who had been renting the home.

Police who were in the area on Jan. 4 had noticed a strong smell and discovered five adult dogs and 10 puppies, apparently abandoned in the home without food, water or somewhere to use the bathroom. The animals had started to eat furniture and walls in the home, police said Monday.

At the time, Murray called the conditions "deplorable."

'Grim news'

The animals were all taken from the home and the adults are now available for adoption, with the puppies to be available soon.

"Yesterday we kind of had what we felt was a relatively happy ending to this incident, and now we've got some grim news," Murray said.

Cleaning staff hired by the owner of the home made the find and called police, Murray said, triggering a new investigation.

Animal protection officers with the Winnipeg Humane Society and police searched the remaining areas of the home thoroughly, he said.

It's not clear yet whether additional charges will be laid, Murray said, or if the bodies of the puppies will be used as evidence for the existing charges.