MILWAUKEE – A Milwaukee man charged in 2022 after more than 100 animals – including dogs, turtles and alligators – were rescued from his home has been court ordered not to have any animals, except for two birds and two dogs, for one year.
Larry McAdoo, 47, was charged with a felony and 11 misdemeanors after the discovery at his home near 9th and Hadley. He pleaded guilty in October to two misdemeanors, and the remaining charges were dismissed as part of a plea deal.
The court did sentence McAdoo to six days in the Community Reintegration Center, formerly the House of Correction, but he was granted credit for time served.
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Case details
Police were first called to the home on Dec. 9, 2022 for an animal cruelty complaint. Upon entry, a criminal complaint states officers smelled a “strong and overpowering odor of animal feces and urine.” McAdoo was arrested, and the house was searched over the course of Dec. 9 and Dec. 10 of that year.
Once in custody, the complaint states McAdoo told police in a Mirandized interview that he “takes dogs in for other people and finds them new homes,” and that none of them belonged to him. He initially denied knowledge of the conditions that the dogs were kept in, but when shown photos “admitted things had gotten out of control.”
“At least” eight dogs were living in “unsanitary” conditions, per the complaint. He tried to blame the conditions on three kids – ages 16, 17 and 18 – who “didn’t clean up” but later claimed responsibility. When it came to veterinary care, he said he “does not take them to the vet, instead attempting to fix the issue himself.”
Photo gallery: Animals rescued from home
Animals seized, details of conditions
In all, the complaint states MADACC seized 113 animals:
25 dogs
23 birds (chickens, ducks, parakeets, pigeons, a turkey, a macaw and others)
14 rats
8 hamsters
7 hedgehogs
6 lizards
6 rabbits
5 guinea pigs
4 cats
4 chinchillas
3 tortoises
2 alligators
2 snakes
1 goat
1 ferret
1 raccoon
Warning: Some of the details below may be disturbing to some readers.
The complaint states “various reptiles” were housed in the attic and kept in aquarium tanks that “were not recently cleaned.” None of the tanks had clean water and the temperature was 60 degrees – too cold for the species present. Some tanks did not have heat lamps. Soon after being seized from the home, but before it could receive medical care, a lizard died due to the conditions.
Two alligators were also in the attic, per the complaint. The reptiles – one 2 ½ feet long, the other 3 ½ feet long – were housed in a 60-gallon tank full of “filthy” water and “animal waste.”
Another 60-gallon tank contained two different species of tortoise, the complaint states. The glass of the tank was “coated in feces” and there was no substrate in the tank, which is needed so the tortoises don’t develop sores on their feet. A snapping turtle was kept in a 10-gallon tank with a “thin layer” of water that was “caked” with feces and not deep enough to drink or swim. The turtle had become deformed due to the conditions and was showing signs of metabolic bone disease.
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Two corn snakes were kept in a 12-by-12 “cube” without hear sources, per the complaint. The size of the enclosure was too small for one snake, let alone two, officials said. There was no water and the cage was full of feces and shed skin.
In the basement, the complaint states 17 dogs were found. There were “large amounts of dog feces and urine” mixed with wood chip bedding on the floor. There was not food and a bucket of cloudy, yellow water. The dogs were being kept two to a pen. One of the dogs was a French bulldog that was malnourished with several injuries. Due to the dog’s condition, surgery was deemed “inhumane,” and the dog was euthanized. Two Boston terriers were among the 17 dogs, according to the complaint. There were holes in the bottom of their pen that were later deemed to be rat holes.
Upon intake at MADACC, a chicken and a raccoon had to be euthanized.
Some already deceased animals were left at the scene.