CHEYENNE -- Authorities had to wear full body suits and respirator masks to protect themselves from health hazards while recovering animals from "abhorrent" conditions south of Cheyenne last week, according to court documents released Wednesday.
The additional safety precautions were deemed necessary when the Laramie County Sheriff's Office (LCSO) and Animal Control executed a warrant and seized more than 100 animals from Michael Ohern's residence in the 200 block of H Bar E Drive on Oct. 10.
Ohern was arrested the same day on 22 counts of felony aggravated cruelty to animals.
Court documents described "filthy" conditions that were "unsafe for living for humans and animals." The warrant service uncovered feces on the walls, doors and floors, excessive garbage and debris, and mice and insects infesting the house.
The amount of garbage and debris made it difficult to navigate to the animals, and the mice and insects had also infested the spaces where the animals were housed, LCSO Detective Miles DePrimo wrote in his affidavit.
Ohern is the subject of an ongoing investigation due to multiple complaints of animal cruelty and prior charges related to animal welfare. LCSO joined Animal Control in the investigation in early September, but Ohern has similar charges dating back to 2022.
Filthy conditions
Though Ohern has been reported to law enforcement in the past, this most recent investigation was triggered after he reported the death of his dog, referred to as "Khanzade," to Animal Control in September.
Khanzade died in Ohern's home from what he suspected to be parvovirus infection, commonly referred to as parvo. A necropsy performed by the Wyoming State Veterinarian's Lab confirmed Ohern's theory.
In the span of three days, Ohern reported a total of four dogs, including Khanzade, who had died or tested positive for parvo, to Animal Control. According to court documents, he admitted being unable to afford treatment, but continued acquiring new animals.
LCSO obtained a warrant on Oct. 6, which was served on Oct. 10 with members of Animal Control, Cheyenne City Compliance, Code Enforcement and a veterinarian with the Cheyenne Pet Clinic.
The odor and the presence of feces, mice and insects prompted those executing the warrant to wear full body suits and respirator masks to protect themselves from health hazards, court documents say.
Dr. Nolan Bunting, a veterinarian with the Cheyenne Pet Clinic who specializes in exotic animals and was present on Friday, confirmed that the conditions were not suitable.
Water available outside was brown, unclean and unsuitable for drinking. Additionally, the tortoises were crammed in a bedroom with Ohern's birds, as opposed to a larger enclosure with direct sunlight as they should be, Bunting said in court documents.
When he was arrested, Ohern admitted to Detective DePrimo that the conditions were filthy and unfit for animals.
Ohern attributed the conditions to his age, poor health and job, which is in Superior, Colorado, saying he intended to start cleaning on Monday.
When asked if he believed he was providing the animals with proper care, court documents say Ohern didn't answer directly, but instead stated the dogs were good animals and had nothing wrong with them; rather, the presence of law enforcement was causing them anxiety.
Injured, ill, neglected
Ohern estimated he had approximately 81 animals, including two cats, which had "disappeared." Law enforcement found 101 live animals: 28 dogs, 66 birds of various breeds, a turtle, two tortoises, a goat and three rabbits.
The final count of the animals recovered in court documents differed from the Cheyenne Animal Shelter's (CAS) reported animals received by one.
The search also uncovered a total of 26 dead animals, according to court documents, four more than was initially reported.
There were four birds, four turtles, two dogs, seven cats, two iguanas, a rabbit and what the officer believed to be two unknown animals, which were later determined to be four house cats, "so decayed that it was hard to initially separate the carcasses."
The animals were in varying levels of health. Most of the birds were missing feet due to self-mutilation as a result of neglect or from rodents. All the rabbits had a zoonotic upper respiratory disease, which is transmissible to both animals and humans.
One of the dogs had a mass on its neck, requiring treatment, and the two tortoises were suspected to have bony-involved abscesses or infections on their undersides, which will require lateral radiographs (X-rays) to see the extent of the damage, according to Bunting.
All live animals were seized and transported to CAS for treatment. By most recent estimates, it'll require approximately $355,000 to care for the animals for 90 days from their arrival at the shelter.
Sustained neglect
Court documents included the assessment of CAS veterinarian Dr. Sarah Crystal, who determined that the animals' respective conditions were a result of "sustained inaction and disregard for animal welfare."
"The remains were found in variable stages of decomposition, ranging from recent death (with soft tissue still intact) to advanced decay (partial or full skeletal remains)," Crystal wrote in her report. "The variability in decomposition strongly suggests that the deaths occurred over an extended period, not as the result of a single isolated incident."
Several carcasses were found stacked on top of each other, and there was no indication that any efforts were made to humanely euthanize or otherwise treat these animals before their deaths, according to Crystal's report.
"The condition of the remains and the environment points to prolonged neglect and abandonment," Crystal wrote. "In my professional opinion, the deaths of these animals were preventable, given the young age of several of the deceased. The absence of basic care constitutes severe neglect."
The failure to dispose of the deceased animals created hazardous conditions for any remaining live animals, according to Crystal's report. It also created a health hazard for any humans on the premises.
History of neglect
Documented complaints against Ohern date back to 2022, including reports of dogs running at large, livestock harassment, unsanitary living conditions and multiple animal deaths linked to Parvo.
In April of 2022, Animal Control recovered 64 dogs, three cats and 13 birds from Ohern's residence after receiving roughly 15 complaints of loose dogs harassing livestock. The animals were living in similarly unsanitary conditions, with feces piled up to two feet high in some areas.
Many animals were covered in feces, dehydrated or in poor health, according to court documents.
Ohern was charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty resulting in the death or euthanasia of an animal in 2022, but the charge was later dismissed.
Between July of 2023 and November of 2024, multiple welfare checks confirmed the ongoing accumulation of dogs, the unsanitary living conditions, the health of the animals, and the damage to kennels and fencing, which allowed the dogs to escape.
Moving forward
Ohern's arrest affidavit indicated that he could face further charges should his animals have more injuries or illness or if the seized animals die from injuries or illness sustained because of Ohern's neglect.
His bond has been set at $100,000 cash, according to the Laramie County Circuit Court. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Wednesday at 2:15 p.m.