House of Horrors in Flint, Michigan: Dead Puppy in Pizza Box

WARNING: DESCRIPTIONS OF CHILD NEGLECT AND ANIMAL CRUELTY

Consider yourself lucky you didn't witness the scene Genesee County Sheriff Deputies walked into on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.  "Starvation of animals, neglect, neglect of children, this case has it all," is how Sheriff Christopher Swanson summed up the "House of Horrors" during a press conference later that day, which was broadcast on Facebook Live.

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People reports that deputies were led to the nightmare fuel scene while investigating $30,000 worth of missing wire from an AT&T worksite located directly in front of the Flint, Michigan, home.

Child Neglect, Animal Cruelty, and Killing and Torture of Animal Charges Filed

Deputies didn't even need to enter the home before they were subjected to a saddening sight: a dog lying dead inside a cage on the front porch. Another dog clinging to life wandered around the yard, looking like it hadn't eaten in weeks. Believe it or not, the cruelty and neglect didn't stop there.

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Inside, they found another skin-and-bones puppy clinging to life without food or water. Thinking it couldn't get worse, they would find a dead puppy in a pizza box, "curled up in the fetal position," according to People. Deputies described the scene as "unfit for humans," and yet people were living there, including a 9-year-old boy.

Arrests Made and Lives Saved

WZZM reports the deputies called Child Protective Services (CPS), who would provide a safe place for the child while they would also immediately provide food and water for the emaciated dogs.

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The three adults in the home now face serious charges. Kelly Walker, 29, and Charles Ashbaker, 38, are both charged with cruelty to animals and the killing and torture of an animal. Charges of theft, drug possession, and resisting arrest were filed against the third adult, 47-year-old Douglas Nelson. All of them are currently 'lodged' at the Genessee County jail.