An Indiana woman who claimed that she 'could not smell' the dead dog in her car due to COVID faces animal cruelty charges

• A woman faces animal cruelty and child neglect charges after officials found her home in "disgusting condition."
• Officials reportedly found a dead dog in the trash in Jennifer Lair's home and vehicle.

An Indiana woman who blamed COVID for a reason she could not smell the dead dog in her car has been arrested, according to reports.

Jennifer Lair of Brownsburg, Indiana faces animal cruelty and child neglect charges after officials said her home was in "disgusting condition," WTFR reported.

A Hendricks County Department of Child Services worker discovered dog feces throughout Lair's residence —where her son also lives — and notified local police, according to the report.

The boy's father packed the 8-year-old boy's belongings so he could stay with his grandparents, emphasizing that when he picked up his son, he "smelled of death," the outlet reported.

The father told the DCS worker that Lair makes the child clean up the feces due to back pain, according to the news station.

Lair, who the father alleged has six dogs and two cats in her home, is not permitted to have animals due to previous charges, per the outlet.

When police visited her home on May 16, they found a deceased dog in the garbage, The Independent reported. Days later, local deputies discovered another dead dog in a cage inside her vehicle, the outlet reported.

According to the report, when she was questioned by officials as to why she did not dispose of the dog, she cited COVID as the reason, adding that she "could not smell it."