FLINT – The owners of a home in Flint Township who hoarded dozens of animals in squalor have been charged with two felonies and a misdemeanor by Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton after police submitted their investigation reports and a request for warrants on March 2.
Kim Mitchell Shires, 65, and his wife, Brenda Marie Shires, 61, are each charged with one count of Abandoning/Cruelty to 25 or More Animals, a felony punishable by up to 7 years in prison; one count of Killing/Torturing Animals, a felony punishable by up to 4 years in prison; and a misdemeanor for failing to properly dispose of dead animals within their possession which carries a minimum sentence of 30 days in jail.
According to Flint Township police, on February 11, 2026, Genesee County Animal Control received a complaint about a home on Elms Road that had more than 50 dogs on the property and several were deceased. Flint Township police and Genesee County Animal Control officers were dispatched to the home and discovered 69 animals on the property including 65 dogs and 4 cats; an additional 26 dogs and 1 cat were found deceased. A few dogs were able to avoid capture on that date but were later captured by animal control officers.
The animals were taken to Genesee County Animal Control for necropsies and medical exams and treatment, and a public emergency adoption event was organized for the surviving animals.
Officers noted in their reports that when they arrived on the scene, the dogs barking was so loud that it was difficult to hear each other speak and the smell of urine and feces permeated the air. Upon entering the home, officers noted the smell of urine and feces was so strong that it burned their eyes and skin and made it difficult to breathe. Several black garbage bags were found near the entry door and smelled of decomposition and were discovered to contain several dead dogs as were a pile of garbage bags found in the yard.
The floors of the home were covered in urine and feces and the flooring throughout was
rotting. All the animals were covered in excrement and fleas.
The ages of the dogs were from newborn puppies to older in age. All seven puppies aged 5-6 weeks had bloated abdomens and every single dog older than that had new and older bite wounds to their ears and/or muzzles.
One male dog had to be euthanized due to an abdominal buildup of fluid that was so massive it could barely walk and it was causing respiratory distress due to restriction of the diaphragm. It is alleged by the veterinarian at animal control that the owners did not provide it with adequate medical care. It initially weighed 64 pounds during the necropsy but after the liquid was drained from its abdomen, it only weighed 34 pounds. It was found to have various ailments including infection and adult worms in the small bowel from which the veterinarian concluded it would have suffered for some time and had a desire to eat but was
unable to consume enough food.
The Shireses previously lived in Tennessee where they had a similar situation involving more than a dozen animals living in squalor and four deceased animals found in a deep freezer.
“I have charged other animal owners in similar type situations that were very troubling but this one is by far the worst case I have ever seen, and it is very disturbing to say the least,” said Prosecutor Leyton after filing the charges.
The Shireses were not home when law enforcement began their investigation on February 11 and their exact whereabouts remain unknown today.
If you have any information that may be able to assist law enforcement in their search for Kim Shires and Brenda Shires, please call the Flint Township Police Department at (810)600-3250.
