Man Pleads Guilty to Causing Death of More Than 50 Dogs

A Milwaukee man accused of abusing more than 50 animals pleaded guilty to five felony counts of mistreatment during a plea hearing Monday afternoon.

Michael Ellis entered the plea as part of an agreement with prosecutors. In exchange, the state agreed not to file additional charges stemming from the investigation.

Roughly two dozen animal rights activists — some affiliated with the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC) — filled the courtroom gallery during the hearing. Another 65 to 70 individuals submitted letters regarding the case, according to Judge Jon Richards, who said he is reviewing them on a rolling basis.

Richards did not specify whether the letters supported or opposed Ellis. However, many are likely tied to a public call from Friends of MADACC, the commission’s nonprofit fundraising arm, which urged community members on its website to ask the court for “the harshest possible sentence.”

For each count, Ellis faces a maximum penalty of a $10,000 fine, up to three-and-a-half years in prison — 1.5 years of confinement followed by two years of extended supervision — or both.

Prosecutors are expected to recommend an eight-year sentence, divided into three years of confinement followed by five years of extended supervision, according to Assistant District Attorney Samuel Simpson. The state also plans to request a five-year ban on owning, possessing or training animals, along with a mental health evaluation and any treatment deemed necessary during supervision.

Ellis was taken into custody following the hearing. Sentencing is scheduled for late July.

The charges stem from an August 2024 investigation, when Milwaukee police discovered dozens of dead dogs at Ellis’s former residence, 5259 N. Teutonia Ave., according to a criminal complaint.

A routine walk-through of the property — which the city had foreclosed on June 14 — led to the discovery of several deceased dogs, prompting a city employee to contact police.

Officers and MADACC representatives responded to the scene, where they discovered 53 dead dogs throughout the first floor and basement. The complaint indicates that the animals were in varying stages of decomposition.

A necropsy revealed “significant evidence of emaciation and severe muscle atrophy,” as well as empty stomachs and intestines. Starvation is the suspected cause of death for all of the animals.

MADACC also recovered three emaciated — but living — dogs from the home.

Cell phone records placed Ellis at the residence between midnight and 5:33 a.m. on the day of the inspection. He turned himself in to police on Sept. 19.

When questioned by detectives, Ellis said he began hoarding animals after a recent divorce. He admitted struggling to care for them and said he felt “embarrassed” to seek help.

City records show an animal nuisance complaint was filed against the property in October 2023. Officers reported three dogs had been left outside without food, water or shelter and were in “critical need of care.”

Richards, who called the charges “grave” and “extremely serious,” ordered that Ellis be taken into custody immediately following the hearing. He is scheduled to deliver the sentence on the morning of July 31.

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