GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP, MI – Felony warrants have been issued for two people accused of abandoning three dogs to starve in a mobile home, leading to the deaths of two, authorities said.
Jamie Cross, 43, and Bruce Austin, 46, of Grand Blanc Township, allegedly abandoned the dogs on Nov. 11, leaving them inside the home without food or water, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson said during a news conference on Friday.
Animal control responded to the residence on Nov. 27 – 16 days after the dogs were abandoned – and found that two of them were already dead, he said. There were signs that the dogs had scratched and bitten at the door, trying to escape.
Necropsies of the deceased dogs found that they had only dirt, hair and plastic in their stomachs, Swanson said.
The third dog, Bubba, has recovered enough to be placed with a foster, he said. Bubba won’t be available for adoption until the owners either relinquish their rights or are convicted.
Felony warrants have been issued for both Cross and Austin, Swanson said. They are each charged with three counts of killing and torturing an animal, a four-year felony; and one count of animal cruelty, a one-year misdemeanor.
The couple is known to frequent the Flint area, Traverse City and Arizona, Swanson said. He is asking anyone who knows their whereabouts to call 911. He also requested that the suspects turn themselves in.
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