Michigan woman charged for allegedly torturing, starving 5-month-old puppy
(CBS DETROIT) - A Michigan woman has been charged for allegedly neglecting and torturing a five-month-old puppy, officials said.
Nataya Shalon Cabine, 35, was charged with killing or torturing an animal, a felony punishable by up to four years in prison, and abandoning and being cruel to an animal, for which she faces up to 93 days in county jail, the Genesee County sheriff and prosecutor announced in a video posted on Facebook.
Cabine has also been charged as a habitual offender. She had four previous felony convictions, two for assault with a dangerous weapon, one for assault with intent to do great bodily harm and another for third-degree arson, according to Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton.
Due to being charged as a habitual offender, Cabine faces up to 15 years in prison, according to Leyton. Cabine was also given a $100,000 bond.
"These little guys don't deserve this kind of treatment, and when somebody badly mistreats a beautiful little puppy, a cat, any kind of an animal, a helpless animal, they need to be punished, and that's what happens in Genesee County.," said Leyton.
The prosecutor's office was made aware of the situation after investigators reported that a man delivered groceries to Cabine's neighbor, and when he went inside the apartment, he saw the puppy, named Nugget, badly abused.
Cabine started punching Nugget, a Pitbull mix, in the face because he urinated in the cage.
Investigators discovered there was no food or water inside the cage, observed feces piling up, no bedding in the cage and a variety of other issues.
"You can't just beat an animal, starve an animal to death, there's other people that will step in. There's no excuse for this," said Genesee County Sheriff Christopher Swanson.
