Former Lions defensive tackle Isaiah Buggs, who was released by the team last season, is facing accusations of animal cruelty in Tuscaloosa, Ala. for allegedly abandoning two dogs at his former residence, according to civil documents obtained by the Tuscaloosa Patch. Buggs has denied the accusations.
Buggs, 27, is expected to face two misdemeanor charges of second-degree cruelty to dogs or cats after the Tuscaloosa Police Department found a Rottweiler mix locked in a metal cage outside and a pitbull on an enclosed back porch, neither of whom had access to food or water, on a property that Buggs was formerly leasing. According to a neighbor, the dogs had been left there for 10 days.
Buggs is said to have left the property on March 19. The police got word of the dogs on March 28 and seized them after Animal Control officers arrived on scene to find the dogs surrounded by their own feces and "malnourished, emaciated and neglected," according to the civil petition.
The pitbull had to be euthanized in April after failing heartworm treatment and becoming increasingly aggressive at a local animal shelter. The Rottweiler is still in the care of the shelter, and pending a court ruling as to whether Buggs should be allowed to own it or any other animals.
Authorities have reportedly been unable to get in touch with Buggs, who had his lease at the property terminated in April due to owing more than $3,000 in back rent.
In a statement released Wednesday afternoon by his agent, Buggs said he "vehemently denies the truthfulness of the allegations and charges assessed against him" and that "the dogs at issue did not belong to him and he was unaware they remained at the property in question."
"Under no circumstance does Mr. Buggs condone the mistreatment of any animal," the statement said.
The statement went on to claim that Buggs has been the subject of police harassment over his refusal to close a hookah joint he owns in Tuscaloosa.
Buggs, who played his college ball in Tuscaloosa and helped Alabama win the 2017 national championship, played every game for the Lions in 2022, but saw his role reduced in 2023 and was ultimately released late last season to make room for players who were returning from injuries.
He quickly latched on with the Chiefs practice squad and was a member of the team during its Super Bowl run, though he did not play in any games. He re-signed with the Chiefs on a futures deal this offseason.
