Michael T. Ellis told police he had been hoarding dogs in his home on Milwaukee’s north side home over time, and that he simply was unable to keep up with their care after a divorce, newly released court papers say.
Animal control officials aren’t buying his story. They believe he was breeding them for money.
The Milwaukee man now faces five felony counts of mistreatment of animals after dozens of dead dogs were discovered in a home that once belonged to him.
A signature bond for $5,000 was issued for Ellis, 45, during his initial court appearance on Wednesday. He is expected return to court for a preliminary hearing Oct. 6.
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The dead dogs in the kitchen were just the beginning
Milwaukee police were sent to a home on the 5200 block of North Teutonia Avenue on Aug. 6 by an employee who works in the city’s real estate program.
The city had foreclosed and taken ownership of the property on June 14, and the employee went there to perform a standard walkthrough of the home. Ellis was its previous owner.
The criminal complaint, released Wednesday by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, paints a macabre and disturbing picture of what the employee and a colleague found once they got inside.
They were overcome with a foul odor. Then they saw dead dogs, several of them, in the kitchen, the complaint said. A lit candle, believed to have been an attempt to mask the odor, also was spotted in the room.
The two employees left the home and called the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission.
An animal control officer recovered three living dogs from the home.
A necropsy was conducted on the bodies of two other dogs. One was too far decomposed for a cause of death to be determined. The other showed “significant evidence of emaciation and severe muscle atrophy,” leading a doctor to find it died of starvation.
It was a ‘Silence of the Lambs’ horror scene inside the house
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Detectives went back to the home Aug. 16 with a team from MADACC. On the first floor, they found 25 dead dogs, mostly in garbage bags. Another 28 dead dogs were in the basement.
“It was honestly the worst thing I’ve ever seen in my life,” MADACC Executive Director Karen Sparapani said. “It was like something out of ‘Silence of the Lambs.’ It was horrifying because every skull or skeleton that was in there, you knew was alive at some point.”
Cellphone records for Ellis showed he was at the home the night before the city employees visited on Aug. 6, the complaint said.
Sparapani said officials also found a stack of unopened dog food in the house, along with several inescapable dog cages. Each cage had skeletons inside them.
Sparapani said the evidence inside the home were hallmarks of an underground dog-breeding operation that has exploded in popularity in recent years because of a demand for XL bullies and other breeds of muscular pit bulls.
“This was just cruel,” she said.
Ellis turned himself in to police on Sept. 19. During an interview with detectives, Ellis admitted he had been hoarding dogs after a recent divorce, according to the criminal complaint. He said he was struggling to keep up with their care, but that he was “embarrassed” to seek help from groups such as MADACC, the document said.
What is the law in Wisconsin for breeding dogs?
The number of animals that are allowed in a household varies from city to city.
In the city of Milwaukee, for example, no more than four adult dogs, cats and/or rabbits are allowed in any one dwelling unit. Anything after that, a pet owner would need to apply for an animal fanciers license.
Rules are different for breeders.
Wisconsin law regulating dog breeding, sales, and adoption-for-fee requires inspection and licensing of many dog breeders, dealers and sellers, as well as shelters and rescues that foster and adopt out dogs.
It also calls for licenses for individuals and organizations selling 25 or more dogs a year from more than three litters that they have bred.
The three dogs that survived the ordeal eventually were placed in foster care and are currently being cared for – two were adopted, the third went to a rescue home, Sparapani said.
City officials have said they intend to raze the property, but it’s not clear when the demolition would occur.
Prosecutors expect to request that Ellis be prohibited from owning, possessing or training any animals as a condition of bail, the complaint said.
How to report illegal animal breeding activity
You can file a complaint with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection if you have concerns that a business or person is in violation of state law relating to the licensing and inspection of dog sellers and dog facility operators.
How to report animal abuse
All reports of suspected animal cruelty or neglect should be directed to the local police department.
If you live in the city of Milwaukee and you feel an animal is not being housed or cared for properly, you can also contact the Department of Neighborhood Services at 414-286-2268.
The Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission does not investigate mistreatment cases, however, it provides assistance to local law enforcement and will pick up and care for animals that are seized for violations of local and state statutes.
If you observe or suspect animal abuse or neglect is occurring, take the following steps:
Contact your local non-emergency police department as soon as possible.
If you witness an animal in a life-threatening situation, call 9-1-1.
Share detailed, factual information with the dispatcher when you call the police department.
Police are best able to perform their duties when provided with detailed descriptions of the suspected abuse.
The more details you provide, the greater the chance that the law will be upheld, and the animal helped.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Dozens of dead dogs found in ‘Silence of the Lambs’ house in Milwaukee
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