A Hillsborough County woman is behind bars after detectives said she was seen dumping two puppies onto U.S. 301.

Selina Spigner, 27, is facing two counts of animal cruelty by starvation and and two counts of animal cruelty by failure to provide vet care.

Investigators said a witness reported seeing someone slow down on U.S. 301 about a mile north of I-4 and toss the puppies from a pickup truck on Thursday night.  The witness chased the car and got a partial license plate number.

"They were north of 80 miles an hour trying to elude me, but I was able to catch them at a stop light and get a license plate [number]," said witness Will Womack.

Detectives then tracked down the owner of the car and arrested Spigner shortly before 2 p.m. Friday.

Detectives said Spigner admitted that she had not properly cared for the pit bull mix puppies, named Will and Wes, for about four months.

The dogs have a skin disease that started as a minor issue, but because they were not cared for, the condition now covers their entire bodies, officials said.

Spigner told deputies she did not have financial resources to feed the dogs or care for them medically.

"It's just absolutely horrendous, and that's why we have laws in the state of Florida that are felonies for when people treat animals in this way," said Major Clyde Eisenberg, with the sheriff's office.

The dogs have been turned over to the custody of Animal Services, who will care for them until they are healthy. Once the criminal case against Spigner is complete, the puppies will be available for adoption.

Spigner could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison if she is convicted on all four charges. She has no criminal history in her past that indicates animal abuse, officials said.

Veterinarian's expect the dogs to be back to full health in about three months.