MIDDLEVILLE (AP) — A man who purchased a foreclosed home formerly owned by an animal-welfare advocate found mounds of feces and dead dogs when he got control of the property in western Michigan.
Kurt Wierenga said he plans to demolish the house, which is only 10 years old, after discovering the conditions. He told WOOD-TV that dead dogs were inside and outside the rural home near Middleville, about 30 miles southeast of Grand Rapids.
"The smell is so overwhelming in here," Wierenga said Friday during a tour with a WOOD-TV reporter.
"Some areas you can see the floor. Other areas you can't because they are stacked up in dog feces," he said.
The home formerly belonged to Marcie Tepper, who rescues animals and is the sheriff's appointee on the Barry County animal control/shelter advisory board. She told the TV station she euthanized the dogs because she was embarrassed that she couldn't find new homes for them after spending money on their care.
Sheriff Dar Leaf said Tepper is under investigation. Phone messages seeking further comment from Leaf and Tepper were not immediately returned Saturday.
WOOD-TV showed a dirty home still full of appliances and numerous animal cages.
The role of the animal advisory board is to improve operations at the Barry County shelter, reduce euthanasia and increase adoptions, said county commissioner Robert Houtman, a board member.
"I'm just sickened by the whole thing," Houtman told The Associated Press. "Disgusted. Nauseated by it, frankly. I had no idea what was going on. This is just 180 degrees away from the mission of the advisory board." He said he didn't know why the sheriff appointed Tepper.
"She was a strong voice of opposition to anything the board wanted to do," Houtman said.
Archive: Sunday
New owner finds dead dogs in home
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Oryana celebrates 40 years in business
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Editorial: Airport should give vets prominent recognition
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New TC manager earned his gray along the way
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St. Francis rolls to regional track crown
The St. Francis girls set two school records, won 10 events and qualified 10 to the state meet en route to capturing the 17-team Division 4 regional track title Saturday at Brethren.
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Chamber View: Multiple opportunities for learning
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Sand in his veins: Mountz has 38 years at Sleeping Bear
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Benzie extends track championship streaks
Benzie Central’s seniors kept their regional streaks intact Saturday at East Jordan.
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Ex-oil exec sees perilous energy future for U.S.
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Letters to the Editor: 05/19/2013
Franz unresponsive; No Russian roulette.
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Kathy Gibbons: Time to say goodbye — once again
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Beach Bums fall in Joliet, 6-3
Catcher Grant DeBruin went 3-for-3 and drove in three runs Saturday night as the Joliet Slammers made it two straight over the Traverse City Beach Bums, 6-3.
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Townships settle 12-year-old lawsuit with Cherryland
Three holdout local townships finally settled a drawn-out tax dispute with Cherryland Electric Cooperative prior to a full hearing before the Michigan Supreme Court.
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Forum: Clean energy, energy forums crucial
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Antrim officials make headway with meth convictions
Antrim County authorities answered a spike in methamphetamine activity with a series of arrests and convictions that they believe should send a message to meth producers and users.
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Jack Lessenberry: Pleasing voters not a priority
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Prep Sports Roundup: Trojans defend home diamond
Ron Dohm pitched a one-hit shutout Saturday as Traverse City Central captured its own baseball tournament with a 4-0 win over Muskegon Oakridge. (Plus more)
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Benzie drug death leads to heroin charges
Authorities filed drug-dealing charges against a suburban Detroit man after a suspected heroin overdose death in Benzie County.
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Terry Wooten: One poem leads to another — and friendship
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Students recognized for math club performance
Thirty math-hungry East Middle School students recently made history. The group of seventh- and eighth-graders was the first at the school to achieve national gold level status for a club called MathCounts.
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Business Memoranda: 05/19/2013
Custer Workplace Interiors has added Emily Heilig to its northern Michigan sales team.
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Business in Brief: 05/19/2013
Become a contractor; Solar projec tbeing offered; MMC joins Spectrum. (Plus more)
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Births: 05/19/2013
MILLER — A son, Elijah Thomas, to Tom and Amy (McNeil) Miller of Lake Ann, March 28.
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Local Sports Events: 05/19/2013
Golf outings and sports camps across northern Michigan:
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Building Permits: 05/19/2013
Building permits issued in Grand Traverse County:
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