Man ‘beaten to death’ on Christmas Eve while trying to save dog from being abused

Warning: Contains reference to animal cruelty some readers may find upsetting

A Michigan man has been described as a 'hero' after he was allegedly 'beaten' to death by a neighbor when he tried to stop them from hitting a dog.

Robert 'Bobby' Cavanaugh had been out riding his bike through his mobile home community in Madison Heights, Michigan on Christmas Eve when he saw the animal allegedly being beaten.

Bobby's sister, Jane Thompson, has claimed he attempted to intervene, but when he did he was attacked with an object.

Bobby was knocked unconscious and police and fire crews responded to the scene, where Madison Heights Police Lt. David Koehler said they found him 'unresponsive and bleeding'.

Bobby was riding his bike when he saw the alleged attack (Click On Detroit)

"The fire department tried life-saving measures," Koehler said, however after being taken to hospital Bobby was pronounced dead.

Officers are now looking into the incident and the claim that Bobby was trying to save a dog when he was attacked. The suspect in the case is known to law enforcement and was taken into police custody.

Per Fox 2 Detroit, Koehler said: "There was an altercation of some sort, but we don’t know what led to it. Our investigation has led to the arrest of someone, but it appeared Cavanaugh had some blunt force trauma which could have potentially caused his death."

In the wake of Bobby's death, his loved ones have paid tribute and demanded justice for the 'animal lover'.

"He’s kind of a hero to me," Thompson said. "He was always reaching out to others, helping them."

A neighbor, Rebecca Spencer, added: "He would not let anybody kill an animal or hurt one. He has been in this community for so long, and he has helped everybody."

Bobby's sister Jane described him as a 'hero' (GoFundMe)

Thompson has since set up a GoFundMe page in which she said her youngest brother had a 'heart of gold'.

"[He] would do whatever he could to help the community in any way that he could and would never ask for a penny," she wrote. "He did everything from his heart. He was a man that loved the Lord and always gave back whenever he could especially all animals."

Thompson said her family wants to 'honor' Bobby by giving him a 'proper burial as the hero he was'.

"His wishes were to be buried and not to be cremated. Thank you so much for your consideration as we continue to pray for peace, humanity for all of our world," she wrote.

Thompson set the target for the GoFundMe at $4,000, but the fundraiser has since exceeded the goal and raised almost $19,000 at the time of writing (December 29).

UNILAD has reached out to Madison Heights police for updates.

If you see an animal in distress and/or in need of help, call 911 if a crime is in progress. You can also visit a directory of animal abuse investigation agencies by state here.