A husband and wife have been charged with felonies but remain at large after authorities said they found dozens of sick and injured animals at their Flint Township home last month.
The suspects, Kim Mitchell Shires, 65, and Brenda Marie Shires, 61, were not home when law enforcement entered their home on Feb. 17, and their whereabouts remain unknown, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton said Thursday.
Leyton said the Shireses previously lived in Tennessee, where they were involved in a similar situation involving more than a dozen animals that were living in filthy conditions, plus four dead animals that were found in a freezer.
“I have charged other animal owners in similar type situations that were very troubling, but this one is by far the worst case I have ever seen, and it is very disturbing to say the least,” Leyton said in a statement.
Flint Township police said the Shireses’ home on Elms Road was filled with “overwhelming filth” and “toxic air.” The stench was so overwhelming that it burned officers’ eyes, forcing them to work in shifts to remove the animals, authorities said.
The home was so thick with urine and feces that the flooring was rotting, Leyton said.
Police initially said they found 91 animals at the property, including 27 that were dead, their carcasses stuffed in trash bags left by the front door.
On Thursday, Leyton increased the total animal count to 96, including 65 living dogs and 26 that were dead, plus four living cats and one that had died.
The seized dogs ranged in age from newborn puppies to senior animals. Each of the puppies had bloated abdomens, Leyton said, and every grown dog had bite wounds to their ears and muzzle.
All the animals were covered in excrement and fleas.
One male dog captured at the home had to be euthanized due an abdominal buildup so severe that the animal could barely walk and was having trouble breathing, Leyton said. The dog weighed 64 pounds during an initial necropsy but, after the fluid was drained, he weighed 34 pounds.
The surviving animals were treated and placed with local rescue groups, according to a social media post shared by Shelter Animal Donations, a nonprofit comprised of volunteers for Genesee County Animal Control. The organization said that once a police hold is lifted, the animals will be up for adoption.
Kim and Brenda Shires both face one count each of abandoning/cruelty to 25 or more animals and killing/torturing animals, both felonies, as well as failing to properly dispose of dead animals, a misdemeanor. If convicted on both felony counts, they could spend up to 11 years in prison.
Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the Flint Township Police Department at (810) 600-3250.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
@max_detroitnews
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Flint Township couple at large in ‘disturbing’ animal hoarding case
Reporting by Max Reinhart, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
