Brothers charged with animal hoarding, holding 52 dogs in a U-Haul

MOUNT CLEMONS, Mich. (FOX 2) - There was a vile smell from the house next door.

"It smelled like something was dead," said one neighbor.

Turns out, two brothers were housing 52 dogs in the house. After getting evicted from their home in Sterling Heights, they moved them into a U-Haul.

"Many of them emaciated, almost all of them dehydrated, they're all covered in filth, all of them had open wounds or scars from previous open wounds. it was a terrible living condition for these poor dogs." said Eric Smith, the Macomb County Prosecutor.

The brothers drove the U-Haul to the Macomb County Animal Control after the eviction. There, vets discovered the state of many of the animals, having to put one down following the discovery her injuries were too much.

The brothers have been charged with animal cruelty, each receiving the maximum jail time of four years. 

Apparently though, the brothers claim they were trying to help the dogs.

"Which is great. You see a dog that's a runaway or a dog that needs a place to stay, I encourage people to help," said the prosecutor. "But at some point you have to stop. You have to call the authorities for help."