MACOMB TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A 27-year-old man has been charged after allegedly killing and torturing a small dog.
Macomb County Sheriff’s Department began investigating Wednesday at a home on Sabrina Drive after a resident reported her dog was missing and believed foul play was involved.
Recommended Videos
She told deputies she had a 10-pound Havanese female dog named Nella that she had put in her crate before leaving home that morning. When she returned home several hours later she found her dog was missing and the crate had been smashed. She also found hair, feces and what is suspected to be blood in various areas of the home.
She reported that Andrea Biondo also lived in the home and been the only one there when the small dog went missing. She gave investigators surveillance footage from her home that showed Biondo carrying Nella by her neck out of the home. The footage also showed him putting a hammer and backpack into his vehicle. When he returned home he was placed under arrest and brought to the Macomb County Jail.
When he was arrested investigators said he had heroin and Suboxone with him. He confessed to harming the dog, but said the dog ran away. Nella has not been located.
“This small animal stood no chance against this male and that is where the law steps in. Nella, just like so many other pets, are a part of one’s family. This hateful behavior towards any living creature, animal or human, is unacceptable,” Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham said.
Biondo was charged with killing and torturing an animal, which is a second-degree felony. He was also charged with two counts of possession of a controlled substance. He was arraigned in the 41-A Shelby Township District Court Friday. He was given a $20,000 bond and scheduled to return to court on Nov. 7 at 2 p.m.
“This type of brutality towards animals is exactly why we started our Task Force, P.A.W.S.” Macomb County Prosecutor Eric Smith said. “Our Office has authorized the most serious charges against this defendant, and will do everything in our power to ensure justice for Nella.”