CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — Clinton Township police need help identifying the man who dumped nine dead, skinned foxes in a bowling alley’s dumpster. This happened Monday afternoon while the Imperial Lanes was opened and it was caught on camera.
“Just seeing it, just seeing their lifeless bodies,” said Angela Biondo.
Biondo can’t erase the image out of her mind, when she went to the dumpster and found what she thought were nine dead dogs Monday afternoon. The two Imperial Lanes employees who found them were horrified.
“Lifeless, skinned foxes, very traumatic for them to find,” she said.
They checked the surveillance camera and saw a man in a pickup truck canvassing the parking lot on Garfield Road near Hall Road.
It happened Monday around noon, when a garbage truck emptied the dumpster. By 12:30 p.m., the man returned and dumped the carcasses in the middle of the day while the business was open, next to the surveillance camera. Some say it was a bold move.
“Dumping them in a dumpster (is) just a disregard for life.” Biondo said.
Macomb County Animal Control Director Jeff Randazzo added, “We have to actually go inside the dumpster to get them out. And so we are cleaning up your mess.”
Macomb County Animal Control assisted Clinton Township Police. With blood everywhere in the dumpster, it left a traumatic and hazardous scene.
“Several of the bodies, you can tell were very fresh,” Biondo said.
Right now, the man would be facing misdemeanor illegal dumping charges. With the proper license, it is legal to trap and fur harvest foxes. The season ends March 1.
“It’s inhumane, I know it’s legal to trap but it’s something that’s outdated and it should be illegal," Biondo said. "They die a very gruesome death.”
Officials say it’s clear some were caught using leg traps.
“Ever wondered what the end result of harvesting fur coats, you see it," Randazzo explained. "This is it. You have the pictures. That’s what literally happens to animal who are skinned."
When the video is zoomed in, it appears the man has a dead fox in the passenger seat and another dead animal in the green pickup truck’s bed. Clinton Township police hope someone recognizes the man.
In the meantime, Imperial Lanes is working on offering a reward.
Randazzo says this story should concern everyone whether you support proper trapping practices or want it banned.
“Just by watching it, if you’re moved then you have to get involved," Randazzo said. "Whatever side of the spectrum you want to sit on, you have to get involved."
