MACOMB TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Manistee man is behind bars after a witness saw him beating his puppy with a wooden stick.
Body-worn cameras were rolling as Macomb County Sheriff deputies removed Corbin Miller from his camper and arrested him at the Taco Bell on Hall and Romeo Plank in Macomb Township. Dispatchers received a 911 call from a passerby just moments earlier.
“I was actually sitting in my car eating my lunch, and I could hear the yelping of pain in a dog,” said Brandon Dell.
Dell, who had just finished a job interview and stopped at that Taco Bell, says he saw Miller beating the dog, a three-month-old pup named Maeby, inside his RV.
“You could see the puppy laying up against the window, and you couldn’t even see the man’s face from where I was sitting, but you could a see a cylindrical object just dropping down on the back end of the dog, and every time it’s just wincing with the most curdling yelp,” said Dell.
Maeby’s injuries were so severe that animal control workers initially questioned if the dog would have to be euthanized.
“The dog, from the information we have so far, had a pelvic fracture, a skull fracture, and a femoral fracture to the animal,” said Commander Jason Abro of the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office. “Even when interviewing this individual, he admitted to our officers that he did assault the dog, and in his statement, he says it’s a dog, it’s not a human.”
Commander Abro says it’s likely that Miller abused the dog before. He’s now facing a pair of felony charges, including animal torture, which carries a four-year penalty.
“He’s definitely a danger to the community. If he’s able to do that to a dog, he’s able to do that to anyone,” said Abro.
We contacted Miller’s lawyer for comment but have not heard back. Abro says they’re seeing an uptick in animal abuse cases and that Miller, who is a veteran, may have been under mental distress.
“Whatever the situation may be in your life and you’re struggling with your animal or pet, contact your local animal control, I know that Macomb Animal control would be willing to take any pet in or at least give you guidance,” said Abro.
Abro believes that if Dell did not call 911, alerting authorities to the alleged animal abuse, the dog would have eventually died.
Maeby is undergoing surgery for the injuries and will be put into a medical foster care program after the procedure. Macomb County Animal Control is covering the cost for the medical procedure.
If you would like to help Macomb County Animal Control support the urgent care and treatment of severely injured or sick animals, you can do so here: https://www.macombgov.org/departments/animal-control/animal-control-donations
