Genesee County, MI – A Flint Township couple is facing multiple criminal charges after authorities say they discovered dozens of dogs living in horrific conditions inside a home packed with animals, waste, and the bodies of deceased pets.
According to the Genesee County Prosecutor’s Office, 65-year-old Kim Mitchell Shires and 61-year-old Brenda Marie Shires have each been charged with abandoning or cruelly treating 25 or more animals, a felony punishable by up to 7 years in prison, as well as a felony count of killing or torturing animals, which carries a penalty of up to 4 years. They are also charged with a misdemeanor for failing to properly dispose of dead animals.
The charges stem from an investigation launched on February 11 after Genesee County Animal Control received complaints about a home on Elms Road in Flint Township where dozens of dogs were reportedly being kept. When police and animal control officers arrived, they discovered 69 animals on the property, including 65 dogs and 4 cats. Investigators also found 26 dogs and one cat already deceased.
Authorities described the conditions as overwhelming. Officers reported the barking from the animals was so loud they struggled to hear each other speak, while the smell of urine and feces was so strong it burned their eyes and skin and made it difficult to breathe. Inside the home, floors were covered in animal waste and the structure itself was deteriorating from the conditions. Garbage bags near the door and in the yard contained decomposing dogs.
Veterinary examinations revealed many of the animals were suffering from severe neglect. The dogs ranged in age from newborn puppies to older animals. Several puppies had swollen abdomens, while many older dogs had fresh and older bite wounds around their ears and muzzles. One male dog had to be euthanized due to a massive fluid buildup in its abdomen that left it barely able to walk and struggling to breathe. After the fluid was drained, the dog’s weight dropped from 64 pounds to just 34 pounds. Veterinarians also found infections and adult worms in its intestines.
Prosecutors say investigators also learned the couple previously lived in Tennessee where authorities encountered a similar situation involving animals living in squalor, including several deceased animals reportedly found in a freezer.
Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton called the case one of the worst he has seen.
“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 after filing the charges.
Authorities say the couple was not home when officers began their investigation and their current whereabouts are unknown. Police are asking anyone with information about Kim Shires or Brenda Shires to contact the Flint Township Police Department at (810)600-3250.
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