Skinned foxes illegally dumped in Clinton Township, authorities say

Clinton Township police are working to find someone they said illegally dumped nine skinned fox carcasses into a trash bin this week.

Police were called to the Imperial Lanes bowling alley near Garfield and Hall on Monday afternoon after a worker taking out the trash found the animals' bodies in the dumpster, said Macomb County Animal Control director Jeff Randazzo, who also responded.

Police released images from surveillance footage of a man in a green truck they described on their Facebook page as a suspect.

The person "did not have permission to use the dumpster ... he didn't even try to hide the gruesome horrid remains he left, just tossed them in like garbage," an Imperial Lanes worker said in a post on the business' Facebook page.

The foxes, some stuffed in feed bags, were a mix of adult males and females that appeared to have been trapped for fur harvesting, he said.

Hunting and trapping foxes is legal through March 1, when the season ends, if someone has a furbearer license, Randazzo said. But dumping is illegal, and could constitute a misdemeanor charge.

"If you’re the hunter, you should just dispose of the remains of the animals properly," he told The Detroit News. "It’s just about best practices that someone should have."

Anyone with information is asked to contact Clinton Township police detectives at (586) 493-7890 or madajczykc@clintontownship-mi.gov.