Detroit Man Charged with Animal Abuse
Published on December 22, 2025
Prosecutor Kym Worthy has charged Martell George,39, of Detroit, in connection with abandoning his two of his pet dogs allowing them to freeze to death, and another surviving dog to be neglected and abandoned in the cold.
On December 18, 2025, at 9:33 a.m. Detroit Animal Care and Control received information about three deceased dogs at a home in the 11780 block of Kennebec, in Detroit. When they went to investigate, they observed two emaciated frozen deceased dogs and one emaciated neglected dog that was alive. The dogs were taken to the Detroit Animal Control Unit. The living dog was severely neglected and in need of urgent medical care. Detroit Police Department officers were called to the scene, investigated the situation, and arrested the defendant on the same day.
Defendant Martell George has been charged with three counts of Animals- Killing/Torturing - Second Degree which carries a maximum seven-year penalty, two counts of Abandoning/Cruelty to One Animal Resulting in Death, a one-year misdemeanor, and one count of Animals-Abandoning/Cruelty to One Animal, a 93-day Misdemeanor
“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.
“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,” said Prosecutor Kym Worthy.
The defendant was arraigned on Saturday, December 20, 2025, and received a $100,000 personal bond. His Probable Cause Conference is on December 29, 2025, and his Preliminary Examination is on January 5, 2026, both before Judge Ronald Giles. Please request a photograph of the defendant from the Detroit Police Department.
*The charges are allegations and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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