A Detroit woman is searching for answers after her dog was intentionally run over by a driver who then left the scene, according to police. Donyelle Curry says her dog Mia slipped out of her Ardmore Street backyard through an open fence on the morning of July 30, and home security footage shows a vehicle approaching the animal before speeding up and running her over. Mia was put down hours later due to her injuries.
“She was my buddy. Everywhere I went, she would go,” Curry said, according to WXYZ Channel 7. Detroit Police Captain John Stewart said the incident appears intentional, per Detroit police, and the department has requested the public's help finding the person responsible. The station also reports that a child inside the vehicle tried to alert others about the pitbull before the collision.
Driver Fled the Scene, Police Say
The case comes as the department has ramped up its response to animal cruelty complaints. Detroit police added an animal cruelty section to its Complex Case Unit this year, a structural shift that followed the department designating its first officer dedicated specifically to investigating animal cruelty cases in March, according to a report from Fox 2 Detroit. The move was meant to address a growing caseload of animal abuse reports across the city.
What Michigan Law Says About Intentional Cruelty
Under Michigan law, intentionally killing, torturing, or maiming a companion animal without just cause is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000, per the Michigan Animal Legal & Historical Center. Courts sentencing someone under that statute can also order full restitution for veterinary expenses, mandate psychological evaluations, and bar a convicted defendant from owning pets in the future.
Wayne County prosecutors have leaned on those tools repeatedly in recent months. In April 2025, a Redford man was charged with felony animal cruelty after surveillance video caught him throwing two kittens from a moving vehicle and intentionally running one over at a Detroit gas station, according to CBS News Detroit. Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy secured an increased fiscal year 2025–2026 budget of $66.7 million in October 2025, in part to step up animal cruelty prosecutions, emphasizing what advocates call “The Link” between animal abuse and domestic or community violence.
A Pattern Across Metro Detroit
Mia's case follows a string of similar prosecutions across the region this year. Hoodline has previously reported on a Detroit dog frozen outside a Garland Street home, and covered felony torture charges brought against a Sterling Heights man accused of killing a Yorkie named Teddy and a St. Clair Shores man accused of slamming his dog to the ground in a leash attack. Similar felony cases have also emerged in Ferndale, Troy, and Shelby Township over the past several months.
Detroit's animal shelter system continues to face heavy demand. In July, Friends of Detroit Animal Care and Control reported that 571 animals entered the city shelter in a single month, with nonprofit transfer partners taking in the majority of animals requiring specialized veterinary or emergency care. Meanwhile, Michigan lawmakers reintroduced a bipartisan seven-bill legislative package in June 2025 aimed at increasing recommended prison terms for felony animal cruelty against companion pets, according to Michigan Humane.
For now, Curry is left grieving Mia and waiting for police to identify the driver responsible. Investigators have not released a description of the vehicle or suspect, and it remains unclear whether surveillance or license plate camera footage from the area has yielded any leads. Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact the Detroit Police Department.
