Three Cornell residents charged, arraigned in animal cruelty case
13 cats, including the photographed cat here, 12 rabbits and one sheep were seized from a Cornell residence in February after Michigan State Police received reports of animal neglect at the site. All animals seized from the site were transported to the Delta Animal Shelter and remain there under a police hold. (Sophie Vogelmann | Daily Press)
Kruzz Makosky (Photo courtesy of the Delta County Sheriff's Office)
Brianna Makosky (Photo courtesy of the Delta County Sheriff's Office)
Nichole Jarvey (Photo courtesy of the Delta County Sheriff's Office)
13 cats, including the photographed cat here, 12 rabbits and one sheep were seized from a Cornell residence in February after Michigan State Police received reports of animal neglect at the site. All animals seized from the site were transported to the Delta Animal Shelter and remain there under a police hold. (Sophie Vogelmann | Daily Press)
Kruzz Makosky (Photo courtesy of the Delta County Sheriff's Office)
Brianna Makosky (Photo courtesy of the Delta County Sheriff's Office)
Nichole Jarvey (Photo courtesy of the Delta County Sheriff's Office)
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CORNELL -- Three Cornell residents have been arrested and arraigned on multiple animal cruelty charges, including charges related to the deaths of several animals.
On Monday, Kruzz Makosky, Brianna Makosky and Nichole Jarvey appeared in the 94th District Court. All were arrested Saturday and lodged in the Delta County Jail on a $10,000 cash/surety bond.
The three co-defendants each face identical charges: eight counts of abandoning or cruelty to one animal resulting in the animal's death and one count of abandoning or cruelty to 25 or more animals.
The charge of abandoning or cruelty to 25 or more animals is a felony punishable by up to seven years' incarceration, $10,000, up to five years’ probation, up to 500 hours of community service or any combination of penalties.
Abandoning or cruelty to one animal resulting in the animal's death is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year incarceration, $2,000, up to 300 hours of community service or any combination of penalties.
The court may order psychiatric evaluations or restitution for costs of care, housing or veterinary care as applicable.
The defendants have been ordered not to own or possess an animal during the ongoing court proceedings, and the court ordered no contact between the defendants and various witnesses in the case.
The offenses were reported to have occurred between Dec. 1, 2025, and Feb. 3, 2026.
On Feb. 4, the MSP Gladstone Post executed a search warrant at the co-defendants’ residence on County Road 426 in Cornell Township, where troopers found several deceased animals — including cats, rabbits, pigs and goats — and others in poor health.
The MSP Gladstone Post received a report the day prior to the search alleging animal neglect involving multiple individuals.
Three Delta Animal Shelter staff members removed 13 cats, 12 rabbits and one sheep from the property during MSP’s execution of the search warrant.
Shelter Operations Coordinator Vonnie Bruce noted that the animals were generally in fair physical condition upon intake, though many of the animals’ fur were stained with urine and feces. Some were a bit underweight.
While the sheep went to a foster home, the rest remain at the shelter under a police hold. Since their arrival at the shelter, two of the cats have birthed kittens -- one litter of six and one litter of four. One rabbit also gave birth to two kits.
During the execution of the search warrant, Brianna was arrested after allegedly biting one of the troopers on the wrist and attempting to bite another.
She faces three felony counts of resisting, obstructing and assaulting a police officer in a separate case that now lies in Circuit Court after she was recently found competent to stand trial.
The community has been anxiously awaiting an update in the Cornell animal cruelty case, with many demanding action from the prosecutor's office for months on social media. Several Cornell residents also claimed to hear barking coming from the Cornell residence days after the initial search warrant was executed.
Delta County Prosecuting Attorney Lauren Wickman released a statement in February regarding the ongoing case, noting her office could not "authorize charges without the proper facts and evidence from the investigating agency."
Wickman also discussed the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s (MDARD) involvement in the investigations at the Cornell property.
“The (MDARD) was also involved with the matter involving the treatment of animals at the property, as recently as October 2025. During their investigation, MDARD recommended some corrective action at the property," Wickman said. "Those corrective actions were taken at the property, and documented by MDARD, resulting in no further involvement by MDARD. This involvement hampered the ability of the Prosecutor’s Office to pursue criminal charges due to the corrective measures and outcome documented in the MDARD report.”
As of Monday, it is unknown if any animals remain at the Cornell property.
Each co-defendant will appear back in court Aug. 13.
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Sophie Vogelmann can be reached at 906-786-2021 or svogelmann@dailypress.net.