Isaiah Buggs' agent denies animal cruelty accusations, alleges harassment by Tuscaloosa police

On Wednesday afternoon, Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Isaiah Buggs was charged with two misdemeanor counts of animal cruelty. His agent, Trey Robinson, released a statement on Wednesday evening denying that his client is guilty of the charges.

Robinson believes that Isaiah Buggs is the subject of police harassment after an ongoing dispute with his business in Tuscaloosa. Buggs owns Kings Hookah Lounge and his agent claims that the city of Tuscaloosa is looking for a way to close the business. He said that Buggs was given an offer that would drop the charges against him if he surrendered his business license.

“We believe the City of Tuscaloosa’s decision to file the charges today is part of a concerted effort by the City of Tuscaloosa and its Police Department to besmirch Mr. Buggs’ name and reputation as part of an ongoing subversive campaign to force the close of his local business, Kings Hookah Lounge,” Buggs' agent Trey Robinson said.

Buggs' agent also revealed that the defensive end was arrested twice in the last several months at the Kings Hookah Lounge. He claims that no charges were brought in those cases, but they are being used to pressure him to close his business.

Why were animal cruelty charges filed against Isaiah Buggs?

On Wednesday, two misdemeanor charges of animal cruelty were filed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, against Isaiah Buggs.

The charges are associated with a call on March 28, 2024, to a rental property that Buggs allegedly resided at in the past. According to a report from Patch, Tuscaloosa Police discovered two dogs, a Pitbull and a Rottweiler, on a screened porch without any food or water.

The dogs appeared to be neglected and malnourished and Tuscaloosa Animal Control took custody of the two dogs. Sadly, the Pitbull suffered from heartworm and aggressive behavior and was euthanized.

The Rottweiler is still in the custody of the Tuscaloosa Animal Shelter and who will resume custody of the dog in the future is still unknown.

Isaiah Buggs played for the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2017 and 2018. He was drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He spent three seasons with the Steelers until January 2022, when he was released.

He signed with the Detroit Lions, where he played in 2022 and the majority of 2023 until he was released in January 2024. He then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs ahead of their Super Bowl run.