FLINT, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – When it comes to animal cruelty, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson isn’t sitting back and hoping for the best – he’s leading the charge to hold abusers accountable. In a recent press conference that left no room for doubt, Swanson laid out the gruesome details of two horrific animal abuse cases, making it clear that they are dedicated to bring animal abusers to justice.

Starved, abandoned, and left for dead.

Jamie Cross, 43, and Bruce Austin, 46, allegedly left three dogs in a Grand Blanc Township mobile home with no food or water. By the time animal control arrived on November 27th – 16 days later – two of the dogs had succumbed to starvation. The third, Bubba, miraculously survived but was found emaciated and desperate. A necropsy revealed that the deceased dogs had nothing but dirt, hair, and plastic in their stomachs, a grim testament to their suffering. It was also reported that there was evidence the dogs had bitten and scratched at the door to try to escape.

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Swanson isn’t treating this as just another case of neglect. He wants justice. Felony warrants have been issued for Cross and Austin, each facing three counts of killing and torturing an animal (a four-year felony) and one count of animal cruelty (a one-year misdemeanor). The fugitives are known to frequent Flint, Traverse City, and Arizona, and Swanson has a simple message for them: turn yourselves in.

Genesee County’s message to abusers: hurt an animal, face the consequences.

This crackdown isn’t stopping with one case. Swanson also highlighted the arrest of Jeremy Justin Neph, 33, who abandoned two dogs in Vienna Township inside of his old home, putting them inside of cramped dog crates with no food or water. One of them was so severely malnourished it had to be euthanized. The bodycam footage of officers discovering the suffering dogs was enough to make even the most hardened viewers sick to their stomachs with one of the dogs so sick and weak, it could could only move its eyes and not even lift its head upon rescue.

The sheriff’s office is working closely with prosecutors to ensure these cases don’t end with a wrist slap. Swanson emphasized the critical role of law enforcement, animal control, and humane societies in bringing abusers to justice. His department isn’t just reacting to these cases – they’re sending a clear message: If you mistreat animals in Genesee County, expect to face serious consequences.

Animal justice is no longer a bark without a bite.

While the details of these cases are heartbreaking, there’s hope for the survivors. Bubba is in foster care, and Baxter – the only surviving dog from the Vienna Township case – is gaining strength every day. Swanson and his team are pushing for changes in Michigan’s laws to expedite the process of removing animals from abusers and placing them in loving homes. As the current law stands, Bubba and other dogs like him can’t be available for adoption until the owners relinquish their rights or are convicted of their crimes.

For now, the sheriff’s office needs the public’s help. Anyone with information on Cross and Austin’s whereabouts should call 911. And for those who want to make a difference, Swanson urges community members to get involved – whether by reporting abuse, fostering, or adopting animals in need.