A property owned by the city and under consideration for condemnation and demolition now is also being investigated for animal cruelty.
The Department of Neighborhood Services responded Tuesday morning to the home located near North Teutonia and Villard avenues for a tax foreclosure investigation. Instead, workers found over two dozen dead dogs, 16 of which were skeletons in the basement, according to a DNS statement.
Eleven dead reptiles and two dead birds also were found in the home. Among the deceased animals were 10 reptiles still alive and three dogs in critical condition.
Next door neighbor Vanessa McCoy said she was home when all the animals were carried out by law enforcement. She said she saw snakes and turtles, but mostly she saw dogs.
“They were skinny to the bones,” McCoy told the Journal Sentinel. “They had so many flies around the windows and bad odors.”
McCoy said she has smelled the odor for years. Sometimes, she would see her neighbors walking their dogs.
“My granddaughter always wanted to go feed them because you can see their bones,” McCoy said.
Multiple firearms also were recovered by law enforcement from inside the residence, according to Milwaukee Police. Milwaukee Police said they are seeking a known suspect.
The Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commision confirmed the living animals are at its facility, but no other information can be provided at this time because the investigation is still ongoing.
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