"He offered background and said the dogs were a “little bit neglected towards the end of this.” Stephens left the dogs with her father, and Blackwood said; “he wasn’t taking care of them – it wasn’t his responsibility.”
The dogs, who were indoor dogs, were moved out to the kennel where they stayed "in the cold." Blackwood said that with Stephens coming home maybe five times a week, the dogs became more isolated and only had contact with each other."