By Julia Cardi

MediaNews Group

With reported animal cruelty cases up 55% in Michigan since 2021, the state’s largest county is stepping up efforts to prosecute such offenses, saying they could be a sign of larger issues at play in some households such as domestic violence.

Earlier this fall, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy asked the Wayne County Commission to dedicate more money to prosecuting animal cruelty and neglect cases. Worthy, who had a $60.8 million budget from the general fund in the past fiscal year, got a bump from the commission to $66.7 million for the 2025-26 fiscal year that began Wednesday.

Worthy’s pursuit of more money to prosecute animal abuse cases came as the Detroit Police Department is gearing up to train investigators more in-depth on animal cruelty and abus

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