Detroit man charged after dogs found frozen to death
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A Detroit man accused of leaving his dogs outside in the cold, resulting in two of them dying, is now facing charges.
Detroit Animal Control responded to Martell George's home in the 11780 block of Kennebec just after 9:30 a.m. Dec. 18 after receiving a report about three dead dogs at the house.
The backstory:
When animal control arrived, they allegedly found two emaciated, frozen deceased dogs and one emaciated neglected dog that was alive. The surviving dog was severely neglected and required emergency medical care, according to the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.
"It is alleged that this defendant left his dogs without food or water in the cold and two of them froze to death. Another of his dogs that survived was found emaciate and suffering in the cold. This is a crime," Prosecutor Kym Worthy said.
Police were called to investigate, and George was arrested later that day.
He has been charged with two counts of second-degree killing or torturing of an animal, two counts of abandoning/cruelty to one animal resulting in death, and one count of abandoning/cruelty to one animal. He was arraigned over the weekend and released on a $100,000 personal recognizance bond.
"It is a shame that we have to explain this to people. Animals are sentient beings that must be cared for. They cannot withstand the freezing cold. Just like people they must be protected during this extremely cold winter season," Worhy said.
What's next:
George is due back in court on Dec. 29.
The Source: This information is from the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.