KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha couple accused of running an illegal puppy mill is facing more than 170 charges related to animal mistreatment after 27 dogs were removed from their home in what prosecutors describe as deplorable conditions.
Prosecutors say Luis Melendez and Margarita Arrieta-Alcaide kept the dogs in filthy conditions, with most of the dogs not even knowing how to be walked on a leash.
Watch: Kenosha couple faces 170+ charges for alleged puppy mill operation
Police first learned about the home on Nov. 3 after a neighbor contacted them and sent several videos showing Melendez allegedly outside with numerous dogs, bottles of bleach littered around his garage, and numerous dog kennels visible.
The neighbor allegedly claimed that they had to stay at a different home over concerns about Melendez’s behavior as well as the dogs.
Officers allegedly found videos on Melendez’s Facebook account, where he went by the alias “Mike Jones,” showing the deplorable living conditions the dogs were subjected to. One video allegedly showed several puppies in a crate with wire-bottom flooring.
Another video showed several dirty puppies in a small kennel with no food, water or bedding.
Officers search the home
Melendez was taken into custody on Nov. 11 and gave the keys to his home to police. There, officers found a total of 27 dogs despite Melendez initially claiming there were only nine.
Officers were allegedly met with an overwhelming smell of feces and urine, and multiple soiled puppy pads and feces littering the entire home.
Prosecutors say all the dogs were dirty and had skin issues, with some missing hair and having overgrown toenails, exhibiting behaviors consistent with inadequate space, lack of exercise and a lack of human interaction.
Most of the dogs also needed to be carried up the stairs and did not know how to walk on a leash, according to the complaint. Prosecutors also say multiple pregnant female dogs were found in the home, with one actively vomiting blood.
Also found in the home were open bottles of bleach left near the dogs with no ventilation, and several spiked leather collars that prosecutors say were so sharp they could easily break the skin and “seemed to be purposefully sharpened.”
Alleged evidence of illegal business operation
Documents found in the home allegedly indicated that Melendez named his business “Spottem Gottem Kennels.”
Officers also allegedly found paperwork from the City of Kenosha showing Melendez had previously attempted to get a residential kennel license but was not granted one.
They found numerous items in the home such as over-the-counter medications, surgical tape, improperly stored vaccine vials and dirty syringes in a dresser, which prosecutors say led officers to believe the dogs received medical treatment and vaccinations at the home.
When questioned about how she could let her children live in the home with such deplorable conditions, Arrieta-Alcaide allegedly claimed that she tried to clean whenever she was home.
She also allegedly admitted that they would hit their dogs whenever they went downstairs or moved the dogs but then backtracked, claiming she never dealt with the dogs herself.
Previous charges and legal proceedings
According to the complaint, Melendez had previously been charged with a misdemeanor offense of intentionally mistreating animals and was granted a $1,000 signature bond. He was required not to possess any animals at the time the dogs were removed from the home.
The complaint documented conversations between Melendez and Arrieta-Alcaide in which Melendez allegedly acknowledged his previous run-in with the law, saying that this was “double jeopardy,” and that they got him “locked up for the same f****** thing.”
What’s next
Melendez was last in court for an initial appearance, where a judge set his cash bond at $50,000, according to court records.
He is due back in court on Nov. 21 for a preliminary hearing.
Arrieta-Alcaide also had her initial appearance, where a judge set her cash bond at $25,000. She is due back in court on Nov. 26 for a preliminary hearing.
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