A woman who visited the local animal shelter Thursday morning found the shelter closed, but was alarmed to find a dead dog inside the fence and a litter of puppies outside the facility.Lindsey Maestri, who had come to the shelter searching for a missing cat, said she found a disturbing sight. “I found a dead dog inside the fence, and then I found 10-11 puppies in a turned-over trash can. It was definitely upsetting.”While it is not known what caused the dog's death, the puppies had apparently been dumped outside the facility.The shelter’s hours are Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m, but Smithville Mayor Jimmy Poss said the employee scheduled to be on duty Thursday was sick, and could not make it to work.Poss said the shelter’s two employees, David and Monica Summers, can not always be at the shelter in the best of circumstances, because they are also responsible for answering call regarding stray animals.He said after-hours calls also affect their schedule.