Atlanta Falcons linebacker Prince Shembo was arrested on animal cruelty charges for allegedly killing his girlfriend’s dog last month.
Shembo is accused of kicking and killing his (now ex) girlfriend’s dog and has been charged with aggravated felony animal cruelty charges.
Shembo’s ex-girlfriend told police that she went to visit Shembo at Shembo’s home last month. While at Shembo’s home, she called out for her dog, whom she had taken to the home four days prior. Her dog did not respond to her calls and found the dog to be unresponsive. She was concerned about the Yorkie’s state and ended up taking it to an animal hospital where it died of a brain aneurysm.
According to the police report, Shembo’s former girlfriend said she prayed that night to find out what happened to her dog. She told Shembo the next day that she had been praying for an answer to her question. Shembo allegedly told her what if I told you I kicked the dog. Shembo also supposedly told his now ex-girlfriend that he was considering fleeing the country because he knew what he would face for animal cruelty charges. She broke up with him the next day.
Later examinations showed that the dog died of blunt force trauma. The AJC has a description of the injuries:
The dog had a fractured rib, fractured liver, abdominal hemorrhage, thoracic hemorrhage, extensive bruising and hemorrhage in the muscles in her front leg and shoulders, head trauma, hemorrhage and edema in lungs, hemorrhage between the esophagus and trachea, and hemorrhage in the left eye with internal injuries, police said.
Shembo is the same former Notre Dame player who was accused of sexual battery by Lizzy Seeberg, who later committed suicide.
Update, 2026: The case was dropped, and expunged from Shembo’s record.
