Owner of 4 dogs found dead in kennel pleads guilty to animal cruelty

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - The owner of four dogs found dead in a wire kennel pleaded guilty Monday to animal cruelty charges.

Donald Marrero Jr., who owned the dogs, pleaded guilty to four counts of second-degree cruelty to a dog. A judge sentenced him to a one-year suspended jail term with two years of probation.

Law enforcement officers found the dogs in February 2024 at a home on Victory Court off Dauphin Island Parkway. Officers said at the time that the dogs had been locked inside the kennel without food or water.

Two women who were responsible for the dogs’ care also have pending charges.

In addition to probation, the judge ordered Marrero to surrender all animals in his possession to Mobile Animal Services. The judge also forbade him from having any animals while on probation.