A woman is charged with animal torture after a landlord discovered an emaciated dog locked inside a cage in the garage of a Brooklyn Park rental property following her eviction.
Dashinque Michelle Hall, 32, faces a charge of overwork or mistreatment of animals by torture in Hennepin County District Court.
According to the criminal complaint, Brooklyn Park police responded to a property damage report on the 8700 block of North Maplebrook Circle on Dec. 31, 2025. The property owner told officers a tenant had rented the home since September and moved out the day before after being evicted for not paying rent.
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When the owner returned, he found trash and personal items throughout the home, damage to the microwave and holes in multiple walls. He also found a dead dog locked in a cage in the garage. The garage was covered in dog feces and the cage was full of it. The cage was locked and the dog appeared emaciated.
A man who had filed a civil complaint about losing his deposit at the property told investigators he had been living there from September until the December eviction with Hall. He said the dog belonged to her and died early in their time at the residence, remaining locked in the cage in the garage for months. He said she "let it die."
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Hall admitted to staying at the address but denied the dog was hers.
The University of Minnesota performed a necropsy on the dog and determined the cause of death was emaciation and dehydration. No diseases were found.
Hall was charged by summons on March 27 and is not currently in custody.
