Michigan: Admitted heroin junkies Jennifer Koos and her boyfriend Martell Dyke starved their dogs to death, say police

MICHIGAN -- A man and woman are facing felony charges after surrendering two severely starved and malnourished dogs to the Humane Society of Genesee County.

A third dog living in the home died of starvation and was partially eaten by the other two dogs, according to Genesee County Sheriff Robert Pickell.

This six-month-old dog, still just a puppy, was still
alive when these photos were taken

He was so far gone, though, he had to be euthanized
after his organs shut down. There was no saving him.
In his short six months on this earth, he knew nothing
but pain and suffering thanks to Jennifer and Martell.

The Genesee County Sheriff's Office opened an animal cruelty investigation after the dogs, which had bones clearly visible under their skin, were dropped off.

Pickell said police discovered the dogs were living in the basement of a residence filled with urine, feces and trash.

  

 

This two-year-old Pit Bull mix was the lone survivor

Jennifer Koos, 36, a woman living in the home, told police she has been struggling with a heroin addiction and admitted that the dogs would sometimes go weeks between feedings, Pickell said.

"When you see their bodies, just the rib cage is and the rest of their bodies it's obvious it's a horrible horrible situation," Pickell said.

  

 

 

 

The three dogs were locked down in this basement. When

one dog finally died of starvation, the other dogs at it to survive

Her live-in boyfriend, Martell Dyke, 27, told police he "threw pizza into the basement" for the dogs "once in a while".

Koos told police she was aware that the third dog had died and the other two dogs were beginning to eat it. She CLAIMED her drug addiction kept her from "dealing with" the situation.

"They left the dog in the basement, so the other two dogs could feed off the dog. The only thing we have left is the carcass," Sheriff Pickell said.

Based on reports from sheriff deputies, the Genesee County Prosecutor's Office charged both Koos and Dyke with one count each of felony animal killing or torturing.

They were in court for arraignment on Wednesday, where both pleaded not guilty. If convicted, both face up to four years in prison.

Don't get too excited. I guarantee they'll be given probation. Maybe a couple days in the county jail; they're certainly not going to be sentenced to prison.

"My hope is this case will be a warning to others, that our county takes animal cruelty issues seriously, and will take action against those who abuse these pets," Pickell said in a Facebook post.

 

 

The lone surviving dog is still recovering

Coco is now coming back. She has gained a lot of weight in her two weeks here. She's playful, loving, and dreaming of her future furever home.

"She still has a few pounds to put on," Holmes says, "To get her to a healthy weight, because you can still feel the backbones, the hip bones. "

The process of bringing a dog back from this type of neglect is often complex, and can take weeks or even months, if there is organ damage.

Holmes says they have to learn how to eat all over again, "They get fed several times a day, small meals. Because if you put a big bowl of food in front of them, they'll just eat that whole bowl of food and not be able to keep it down. That's not good for them either."

Cases like this are, sadly, not unusual. But, there are things you can do, especially if you suspect a friend, relative, or neighbor's pet is suffering abuse and/or neglect. Report it right away.

"This does not have to happen to animals," Holmes says, "In this day in age, there are so many places you can reach out to."

A neighbor who didn't want to be identified said it was evident Koos wasn't fit to be a pet owner.

"She came up to me and she said to me one time. She said, 'You know how you just want -- when you get a pet, you just want them to run away?' And, she said these pets won't go anywhere," the neighbor said. "And I thought, well should you even have a pet if you can't take care of it?"

She could have opened the door to the basement and kicked them outside of her house - at least they would've had a chance. Instead, she and her boyfriend sat there shooting or snorting drugs... they didn't forget to eat though. They don't look emaciated, do they? They certainly fed themselves between hits of heroin.

The neighbor used to see the dogs when they ran into her yard a few times, but she says that was months ago.

"I didn't even know she still had them because you never see any sign of them coming outside, you know, to use the bathroom or I mean I just never saw them," the neighbor added.

Sheirff Pickell said four years isn't a tough enough penalty for this type of abuse. He's been lobbying in Lansing for stricter sentences when it comes to animal abuse.

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(ABC12 - Dec 1, 2017)