Suspects arrested after 6 dogs discovered dead in home

EASTPOINTE — When personnel with the 38th District Court were conducting an eviction at a home in Eastpointe late last month, they made a horrifying discovery in the basement.

Six dogs were found dead at a home in the 24000 block of Flower Avenue, in the area of Hayes Avenue and Stephens Road, at around 12:20 p.m. Sept. 30, their malnourished bodies decomposing in a basement that had been crudely divided into subsections with makeshift dividers.

All six were American pocket bullies. Five of the deceased dogs were puppies, while one was an adult. They had died of starvation and dehydration, police said. Dry and empty food bowls were found nearby.

Another two dogs — one puppy, one adult — survived the ordeal but were in very poor health. They were immediately taken to a local animal shelter for treatment, while the dead dogs were transported to Michigan State University for forensic testing.

Animal control officers and detectives with the Eastpointe Police Department were immediately called to the scene. Two suspects were arrested and charged in the case by the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office.

Both were arraigned by Magistrate Mark Makoski on Oct. 2. At press time Oct. 3, neither suspect had an attorney on record with the 38th District Court in Eastpointe.

India Laquise Jones, 21, has been charged with killing/torturing an animal — third degree, which is a four-year felony, and abandonment/cruelty toward animals, a two-year felony.

Kentrell Lawayne Dorr, also 21, faces the same charges.

Both had their bonds set at $25,000 cash or surety only.

In an email, Eastpointe Police Detective Lt. Alexander Holish described the conditions that met investigators before they reached the dogs in the basement.

“Upon entering the house, they were overwhelmed by a noxious odor,” the lieutenant said. “They observed that the floor was littered with dead bugs.”

There is a third suspect in the case, but at press time, she had not been formally arraigned. However, authorities said that she is fully cooperating with the investigation.

The lieutenant commended the work of the officers piecing together the unsettling case.

“The Eastpointe Police Department is very proud of having a dedicated team of animal control officers who work diligently on every case,” Holish said. “Their contribution to this department is immeasurable.”