Usually when people think of a dog house we think of a structure in a yard where a dog can go to sleep or hang out but in one Saginaw neighborhood, the dog house they’re complaining about is quite different. The ‘dog house’ in question is an actual residence that is inhabited by four dogs, no people, just four dogs and this has been the case for about two years now.

Animal Control says they can’t do anything because the dogs are provided with adequate food and water, can go in and out of the house at will and it is not a cruelty situation.

On the other hand, neighbors say that on the says the stench coming from the house is unbearable.

“Since summer, the door has been left open and the dogs come and go,” said neighbor Jan Hoffman. “It’s a dog house.”

“The house has been empty for two years except for four dogs,” said neighbor Larry Weaver. “There are days when you can’t stand the smell. At night you can hear the dogs fighting with each other.”

And City Hall doesn’t seem to be doing anything to help the situation. Why not? Well, Saginaw County Animal Control’s Mark Wachner says that although it’s not an animal cruelty situation, “It’s a violation most likely for a city code enforcement officer that is going to have to go over there and take a look.”

And here’s the problem; the house is owned by the daughter of Jim Hodges, the city of Saginaw’s chief building inspector. Hodges says they working on rehoming the dogs but I wonder why it’s taken two years for it to come to this point.

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