An emaciated, severely matted young dog was found crated and abandoned on the sidewalk outside an Aldi grocery store on Nine Mile Road in Eastpointe, Michigan, on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, and police are now asking the public to help identify a woman connected to the case. The dog, a 1-to-1.5-year-old intact male doodle mix now being called Theodore, was emaciated and had likely lacked proper nutrition for some time.
Police Say Neglect Built Up Over Months
A dog was found abandoned outside the grocery store, as reported by CBS News Detroit. Police were called on Saturday. Investigators with the Eastpointe Police Department's Animal Control Division say the extreme matting and emaciation Theodore is suffering from developed over months of neglect rather than happening overnight, according to the Scanner of Warren. Police are seeking the public's help identifying a woman who may have information about how the dog ended up abandoned at the store.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Officer Sanchez at 586-445-5100 ext. 1035 or [email protected], per the same account. The department has not released additional details about the woman's identity or her possible connection to the dog, and no charges have been announced at this time.
No Direct Adoptions From the Shelter
Eastpointe's animal control facility does not conduct public adoptions directly. The division maintains a policy of transferring all adoptable animals to partner rescue organizations rather than conducting public adoptions itself, a practice intended to safeguard animal security and avoid overwhelming its rescue partners, the Scanner of Warren reports. Officials have advised the public to watch Petfinder and rescue channels for updates on when Theodore might become available.
Eastpointe's Animal Control Division operates out of a facility that has grown considerably since its early days. The division, which serves a 5-square-mile city located 11 miles northeast of Detroit, expanded from a three-kennel garage into a full-service shelter that now runs a local pet food pantry, a microchip scanning station, and a low-cost vaccine clinic, according to CBS News. City officials have said those community support services are meant to help low-income pet owners avoid having to surrender or neglect their animals in the first place.
Eastpointe has dealt with severe animal neglect cases before. In October 2024, Macomb County prosecutors charged three individuals with felony animal torture and cruelty after six decomposed dogs were found left behind in the basement of an evicted Eastpointe rental house, FOX 2 Detroit reported. Those defendants faced up to four-year felony penalties under Michigan law.
What Michigan Law Allows Prosecutors to Pursue
Under Michigan Compiled Laws § 750.50, failing to provide adequate care or abandoning an animal without provisions for care is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail and a $1,000 fine for a first offense involving a single animal, according to the Animal Legal & Historical Center. State law requires custodians to supply adequate food, water, shelter, and medical attention. The statute escalates penalties based on prior offenses or the number of animals involved, elevating charges to a 1-year misdemeanor for two to three animals or an animal death, and up to a 2-year felony with a $2,000 fine if four to nine animals are involved or the defendant has a prior conviction.
Statewide, advocates have been pushing to toughen how Michigan courts treat animal abuse cases more broadly. In June 2025, Michigan lawmakers reintroduced a bipartisan package of seven bills, HB 4645 through 4651, supported by Michigan Humane, aimed at amending state sentencing guidelines that currently categorize felony animal abuse as a property crime rather than a crime against companion animals. Advocacy groups have noted that the current property-crime scoring often results in lighter sentences for convicted abusers.
Regionally, Macomb County Animal Control reported achieving a 95% shelter save rate while completing 643 pet adoptions, returning 548 lost pets to their owners, and providing more than 1,000 pet microchips across the county, per county data shared on Facebook. For now, the investigation into who abandoned Theodore outside the Aldi remains open, and police are continuing to ask anyone with information to come forward.
