RIVER ROUGE, Mich. – A River Rouge man was sentenced to probation after officials found injured dogs and supplements linked to dog fighting inside his home.
Michigan Humane Society workers received a complaint in 2020 about a possible dog fighting operation involving Kevin Warren, 52, of River Rouge.
When officials searched Warren’s home on Sept. 2, 2020, they found three dogs with physical injuries from dog fighting, according to authorities. Supplements used to treat wounds from dog fighting were also found, officials said.
A puppy in the home was not injured, but authorities believe that’s only because he was too young to fight.
Facebook messages dating back to March 2019 linked Warren to the breeding and selling of dogs for fighting, according to officials.
“Dog fighting is a cruel and brutal practice that has nothing to do with sport,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said. “In Michigan, we are going to prosecute the violent training and fighting of dogs as both the inhumane treatment of animal life that it is as well as the needless and vicious threat to public safety it imposes on our neighborhoods.”
Warren pleaded guilty to two charges and was sentenced this week to two years of probation. He must also pay the Michigan Humane Society $1,580.82 in restitution and take behavioral therapy classes. He’s not allowed to own dogs during his probation.
“Dog fighting, like any act of animal cruelty, is not simply a crime against an animal -- it is a crime against our community and all who call it home,” said Matthew Pepper, president and CEO of the Michigan Humane Society.
