Police say a Kenosha house call turned into a grim discovery, with seven children and multiple animals found living in what officers described as overwhelming squalor. A criminal complaint details makeshift sleeping areas, raw sewage pooling in the basement and animals confined to filthy crates, including a dog later found dead inside a storage tote in the garage. The case has led to a mix of felony and misdemeanor charges and a widening investigation in Kenosha County.
According to FOX6 News Milwaukee, 37-year-old Tiffany Boose is charged with one felony count of animal mistreatment along with nine misdemeanors and is held on a $5,000 cash bond. Twenty-seven-year-old Akiaya Boose faces a felony charge and ten misdemeanors and is being held on $2,500 cash bond. The complaint states that officers were called to a residence near Sheridan Road and 44th Street on May 2 and were immediately hit with an “overwhelming smell of urine and feces” so strong it was difficult to breathe. Prosecutors say seven children, estimated to be between about 6 and 17 years old, were living in the same conditions as the animals.
Local reporting by Kenosha County Eye and court documents describe a series of disturbing animal neglect allegations. Investigators say they found turtles in a tank with water that “smelled like sewage,” a dog that bolted from a room with visible scars and open wounds and another dog confined to a crate without food or water. The complaint notes mold growing on items sitting in an unidentified liquid and “bedrooms” fashioned from sheets and blankets. Authorities seized the animals and began systematically documenting the conditions inside the home.
Per FOX6, one child told investigators that Akiaya Boose poured bleach into the turtles’ tank “to try and kill them.” A prosecutor’s filing also states that a dog discovered in the garage had deep puncture wounds to its face and throat. According to the complaint, Tiffany Boose told investigators she believed that dog had died from parvo, while Akiaya Boose said she was “shocked” to see the animal in the tote and thought it had already been cremated. Prosecutors say Tiffany initially resisted turning over the remaining animals, telling officers she viewed them like her children.
What Officers Say They Found
The complaint reviewed by Kenosha County Eye outlines in detail what officers report seeing inside the residence. Near a basement floor drain, they say they found raw sewage pooling on the floor. A nearby crate was described as “full of urine and feces,” holding a dog with no access to food or water. The filings allege that a dog which had died in mid-February was left stored in a tote in the garage, while other rooms were saturated with cat urine and litter boxes filled with waste. Investigators documented scars, open wounds and growths on a surviving dog and noted that only one of the animals in the home had ever been seen by a veterinarian.
Legal Implications
Wisconsin law broadly makes it a crime to treat an animal “in a cruel manner,” with penalties that escalate depending on intent and the level of harm. As summarized by the Animal Legal & Historical Center, courts may pursue a Class I felony when intentional mistreatment causes serious injury, disfigurement or death. The statutes also require caretakers to provide adequate food, water and shelter. If convicted under Chapter 951, defendants can face criminal penalties and may also be ordered to cover costs tied to seizing and caring for the affected animals.
What’s Next
Both women remain in custody on cash bonds, and the animals taken from the property are being held as evidence, according to the court filings cited in early coverage. Prosecutors are weighing whether to bring additional charges as the Kenosha County case moves forward. Court calendars and upcoming hearing dates were not yet listed in publicly available records at the time of the latest reports.
