(Berlin Township) A 75 year old Berlin Township man was arraigned Tuesday on animal cruelty charges and may face more charges in the future.
James Chester Kimball Jr. was charged with animal cruelty involving 10 or more animals and burial of animals during arraignment proceedings before Judge Cynthia Platzer in Port Huron’s 72nd District Court.
Kimball was given a $5000 personal bond, with stipulations including not to obtain or possess any animals.
Deputies from the Animal Control Division and Road Patrol Division responded to a residence on Kimball Road in Berlin Township on February 8th, after a call was received regarding animals not being cared for on the property.
Once deputies arrived, they saw 14 rabbits, 3 chickens and a duck that were deceased, as well as live animals that did not have proper living conditions.
Contact was made with Kimball, who voluntarily gave up possession of the live animals, which included 11 rabbits, 4 ducks, 3 chickens and 2 roosters. Those animals were transported to Detroit Animal Welfare Group in Romeo.
On the same day Kimball was being arraigned, another call of animal cruelty was received for the same address. Deputies again responded and found 2 dead rabbits and 22 live rabbits in the same poor conditions.
Contact was made once again with Kimball, who gave up the animals, which were turned over to Detroit Animal Welfare Group.
A new request of charges regarding animal cruelty has been forwarded to the St. Clair County Prosecutor’s Office.
