A Michigan woman accused of dealing drugs has permanently lost ownership of 24 animals — dogs, puppies and turtles — kept in “deplorable conditions” at her home, according to authorities and news reports.
Michelle Reyntiensof Warren, was arrested last month on charges of possession of a controlled substance and animal cruelty involving ten or more animals, the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office said in a Feb. 13 news release.
Reyntiens, 57, who is suspected of selling drugs in the area, was found with crack cocaine, as well as 20 dogs – 11 of which were puppies – and four turtles at his home in Warren, according to the agency. Warren is located in the Detroit metropolitan area.
Authorities who executed a search warrant at his home on Feb. 12 found his residence in “unsanitary condition” and a collection of animals, many of which “appeared to require immediate medical attention,” the sheriff’s office said.
Macomb County Animal Control safely took all 24 animals into the organization’s care, according to the sheriff’s office.
The animals will not be returned to the Reyntiens, according to the judge’s decision, Detroit news report.
A district court judge ordered the permanent removal of 20 Pomeranian/Shih Tzu dogs and a red-eared tortoise on Wednesday, March 11, according to the newspaper.
Reyntiens’ lawyer did not immediately return Us Weekly’s request for comment on Friday, March 13.
“Caring for an animal is not an option – it is a legal and moral responsibility,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said the statement of Thursday, March 12, the newspaper reported. “When people ignore or mistreat the animals they care for, it’s not only sad, it’s a crime.
“My office takes these cases seriously, and we will prosecute those who fail to provide basic assistance and protect animals,” said Lucido.
Authorities were called to an animal cruelty case at a home in central Alabama and found more than a dozen dead dogs in the backyard, along with 24 live dogs inside the home, the sheriff’s office said. The dogs that were found alive are now available for adoption, Us Weekly has learned. A “concerned citizen” called authorities about the […]
Macomb County Animal Control is rehoming the animals and trying to find them new homes, according to prosecutors, the Macomb Daily reported.
If Reyntiens is convicted of drug possession, he faces up to four years in prison, according to the sheriff’s office. If he is convicted of at least 10 counts of animal cruelty, he will also serve four years in prison for that charge.
The suspect will appear in court on April 26. Detroit news report.
If you know or suspect animal abuse or neglect, you are urged to contact the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals through their website or call your local animal control officer.
