A Detroit woman’s months-old puppy was severely burned by boiling bath water shortly after she had a heated argument with her teenage daughter. Now, a prosecutor has announced that no one will face charges for injuring the dog because there is simply insufficient evidence.
The altercation occurred in the early hours of January 21, with officers responding to a Detroit home after a 19-year-old woman called 911 to report that her mother was “intoxicated and antagonising her,” Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a press release on June 27.
The mother was moved overnight to another location, and later that morning, police received another 911 call — this time from her.
When the mother returned home, one of her dogs — a male Jack Russell Terrier named Gideon, who was about 4 to 5 months old at the time — “was crying with severe burns on its body,” Worthy stated. Police later described the animal’s condition that day as “deep distress with burns on its legs and face.”
“She said she called the police because her 19-year-old daughter threw her dog in a tub of hot water,” the state’s attorney stated. “She was not home at the time it happened, but thought her daughter did it because they had an argument earlier.”
According to Worthy, the mom’s younger daughter, 13, told police she “heard the dog crying and saw it run down the stairs with severe burns screaming,” and thought he was too small to jump into the tub on his own — as her older sister claims happened.
The 19-year-old told police that she ran water, left it in the tub, and was upstairs when Gideon jumped into the water and screamed, according to the prosecutor. She claims that her boyfriend then lifted the puppy out of the water.
A third daughter, who was not involved in the situation, contacted the Detroit Animal Welfare Group (DAWG) for assistance with the dog, according to Worthy. DAWG is a volunteer-run organisation dedicated to assisting “neglected, sick, and homeless animals,” according to its website.
Gideon was admitted to an animal hospital, treated for 10 days, and then transferred to a foster home, where he received outpatient care for two weeks. I “was treated for pain, refusal to walk, weight loss, bacterial infections, necrotic skin and third-degree burns,” Worthy told me.
DAWG also organised fundraisers for Gideon’s medical bills and shared the pup’s story on social media. The group provided frequent updates on his condition, such as his first bath after the incident, the growth of his fur, and the first time he played with his still-healing paws. In June, DAWG reported that Gideon had made progress towards overcoming his “trauma” by willingly stepping into a puddle.
Worthy was made aware of Gideon’s situation in February through social media reports, and she launched an investigation into the allegations of abuse, according to the press release dated June 27.
However, the prosecutor explained that there was simply insufficient evidence to file charges against the 19-year-old daughter or anyone else.
According to Worthy, a veterinary expert who specialises in animal cruelty was consulted during the investigation and determined that Gideon did not jump into the tub on his own volition.
The expert concluded that he “was likely placed into the tub hind limbs first, followed by his forelimbs, and remained there for seconds or minutes when he was removed from the tub,” according to Worthy. “As a result, Gideon’s injuries caused severe, long-lasting pain, were life-threatening and required extensive and expensive medical care.”
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Investigators interviewed everyone involved, with the exception of the 13-year-old daughter, whom the mother failed to produce twice, Worthy said. The mother later changed her statement, revising it to match her 19-year-old daughter’s account, according to the prosecutor.
As a result, investigators “concluded that the facts and evidence do not support proving a case against the 19-year-old beyond a reasonable doubt.” “That is the required legal standard in a criminal case,” the press release says. “A recommendation was made to Prosecutor Worthy to deny the warrant request.
Prosecutor Worthy reviewed the case and concluded that the facts and evidence did not justify charging. The warrant request is therefore denied due to insufficient evidence to prosecute.”
Following Worthy’s decision, community members expressed their outrage on social media and protested in person, according to DAWG. The Detroit-area group also announced its intention to take legal action.
“This is the most horrific case of animal abuse we have seen, and we have a private attorney who will prosecute the abuser,” the group announced on its Facebook page. “We are in absolute disbelief that they have chosen not to prosecute.”
Anticipating the backlash, Worthy issued a lengthy statement on “the passion of animal lovers” alongside her June 27 announcement.
“We understand that there will be many who will be very displeased with our decision to deny charges today,” she said. “These will be some of the same people who criticised us for taking the time to conduct a thorough investigation.
But what is right remains right. What is just remains just. Sometimes our charging decisions irritate others. But in the end, we must charge what we can prove.”
“We must be able to prove who did this horrible injustice,” the judge said, “and we cannot do that in this case.”
