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Chiefs' Isaiah Buggs Accused of Second-Degree Animal Cruelty After Malnourished Dogs Allegedly Found at His Home

According to a petition filed in Tuscaloosa, Buggs abandoned two dogs on the back porch of a home with no access to food or water

<p> Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty </p> Isaiah Buggs, formerly of the Detroit Lions and currently of the Kansas City Chiefs

Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty

Isaiah Buggs, formerly of the Detroit Lions and currently of the Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has been accused of animal cruelty in Tuscaloosa, Alabama after police allegedly found two malnourished dogs at his home, according to civil records obtained by the Tuscaloosa Patch and 247Sports.

On Wednesday, May 29, two misdemeanor warrants were obtained for Buggs for second-degree cruelty to dogs or cats after two extremely malnourished dogs were found during an inspection of his home in Alabama earlier this year, the outlets reported.

The Tuscaloosa Police Department reportedly received a tip on March 28 that two dogs were left on the back porch of Buggs' home, which the 27-year-old athlete had been renting.

When police and animal control officers arrived at the address, they reportedly found a grey and white pitbull on the back porch. The petition said the dog was surrounded by feces and had no access to food or water, Tuscaloosa Patch reported.

The petition said that officers found a second dog, a black Rottweiler mix, locked inside a cage in direct sunlight with no access to food or water, per the outlet.

According to local outlet 247Sports, a neighbor told police that the dogs had been on the back porch for at least 10 days.

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Buggs is now facing misdemeanor criminal charges after the dogs, which were described as "malnourished, emaciated and neglected" in the petition, were seized by authorities following the March 28 check, per Tuscaloosa Patch.

PEOPLE has reached out to the Chiefs for comment.

<p>Nic Antaya/Getty</p> Isaiah Buggs of the NFL

Nic Antaya/Getty

Isaiah Buggs of the NFL

The Rottweiler mix reportedly weighed just 52 pounds when animal control officials found the dog, and it later tested positive for parvovirus at the shelter, according to the petition obtained by the outlet.

Tuscaloosa Patch reported that Buggs was renting the home from Omega Realty Group through April 15, but witnesses told police that the Chiefs lineman moved out of the home on or around March 19.

The pitbull was euthanized in April by the Tuscaloosa County Metro Animal Shelter due to its increasingly aggravated behavior and a failed heartworm treatment, according to 247Sports.

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Authorities reportedly attempted to reach Buggs during the March 28 visit to his home, but Tuscaloosa Patch reported that they were unsuccessful.

The petition filed on May 29 requests for a hearing date to be set within the next 10 days. The hearing will determine whether or not Buggs will be granted custody of the surviving dog.

Buggs rose to football fame as a star for Alabama before he was drafted into the NFL by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2019. He was waived by the Detroit Lions in 2023 and signed to the Chiefs' practice squad in Jan. 2024, before winning the Super Bowl in February.

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