A Florida woman has been arrested after allegedly neglecting her dogs so badly that a mother pitbull and her children were eating the remains of a dead puppy.

Marangillette Viera-Rivera, 33, was taken into custody on Tuesday in Tampa after police found that seven 6-week-old puppies and their mother had been kept outside with no food, water or shelter from the heat.

Hillsborough County Animal Services took possession of the surviving pitbulls, as well as a Chihuahua puppy found inside the suspect's apartment.

Police arrived at the apartment after someone reported seeing the dead puppy's body.

Hillsborough County Police spokesman Larry McKinnon told Daily Mail Online that the puppies were 'very lethargic... almost lifeless' when they were taken away from Viera-Rivera.

'All of them were on the verge of meeting their demise,' he said.

Scott Trebatoski, director of Hillsborough County Pet Resources, told Daily Mail Online that the pitbulls all had bacterial skin infections.

All of the dogs, including the Chihuahua, were found with parasites that likely contributed to their lack of nutrition.

The Pet Resources said that although cannibalism 'is not terribly uncommon for cats', it is rare to see dogs driven to eat a young six-week-old pup.