Police and prosecutors are reviewing potential criminal charges after more than 90 animals — including dozens found dead — were removed from a Flint Township property last month.
The Genesee County Animal Control Department has completed health checks on 61 dogs and three cats seized Feb. 17 from a home on North Elms Road near the border of Flint and Clayton townships. Officers also removed 26 dead dogs and one dead cat from the property.
Animal Control Director Jay Parker said the medical reports have been turned over to the Flint Township Police Department, which will determine whether to seek criminal charges.
Possible charges could include animal hoarding, abandonment, cruelty or torture.
Conditions Described as “Nightmarish”
Authorities previously described the home’s conditions as “physically revolting and emotionally draining.” Witnesses said floors were covered in feces, ammonia levels were hazardous, and the house was overrun with animals.
Parker said some dogs suffered from fleas and worms, while others had bite marks around their heads, likely from fighting over food.
“They weren’t starving to death, but their care definitely was lacking,” Parker said.
The surviving animals are currently being housed at the county shelter on Pasadena Avenue and with local rescue organizations.
Prosecutor Awaiting Police Request
David Leyton, the Genesee County prosecutor, authorized the search warrant that led to the seizure. He said as of early Monday, police had not yet requested an arrest warrant.
Medical reports will help establish whether the legal elements of animal abuse or neglect can be proven, police said.
“We want to assure (that) when we present the case to the prosecutor’s office, we have done our due diligence and proved every element of the crime,” said Flint Township Police Lt. Matt VanLente.
Leyton called the case “one of the worst situations of animal conditions we’ve seen.”
Animals May Be Adoptable
Despite medical issues and the trauma of relocation, Parker said the surviving animals are adoptable.
“They need some human interaction,” he said. “They were just all jammed into a confined area.”
Prosecutors have said they intend to seek forfeiture of the animals so they can be placed in permanent homes.