Culver's replaces its bacon with a new, thick-cut variety
NEWS

Couple face charges of child neglect, animal mistreatment

Sharon Roznik
Fond du Lac Reporter
Man charged with child abuse.

FOND DU LAC - Charges of child neglect and animal mistreatment have been filed  against a couple found living in a residence so filled with feces and filth it was condemned. 

A summons to appear in Fond du Lac County Circuit Court has been issued for Leo D. Schneider, 50, of Horicon; and an arrest warrant has been issued for Andrea S. Schneider, 46, of Stevens Point.

Charges filed against the husband and wife include four counts of child neglect, mistreatment of animals, and improper indoor animal shelter ventilation and sanitation.

The charges date back to January of this year, when the couple were living in Fond du Lac with four children, all under the age of 9, at a residence on Ledgeview Avenue

Police first responded to the home on Jan. 17 after receiving complaints from neighbors about the couple's dogs running loose in the neighborhood, chasing down other dogs and people, court records say.

RELATED: Man accused to starving son

RELATED: Watch us on YouTube

As an officer approached the home,  three dogs ran out of the residence and one of the dogs, a German shepherd, bit one of the officers in the leg. Another officer arrived to assist at the scene and had to subdue the dogs with pepper spray, court records say.

Once inside the residence, police described the interior as covered in "filth and feces everywhere" to the point that it was "uninhabitable."

A total of 10 dogs and five cats were found inside the home, and none were vaccinated. The German shepherd was later euthanized to be tested for rabies. 

The city inspector was called to the residence and condemned the home, which was also found to be infested with bed bugs. The family was relocated to temporary lodging in the city.

The pets were also reported to be coated in feces with urine burns on their paws. The Fond du Lac Humane Society was called in to remove the animals and testing indicated they were infested with whip worms, roundworms, tapeworms and fleas, and were covered in sores and skin infections. Some of the cats were believed to be pregnant.

Social services was called in to investigate the welfare of the children. 

The couple's history turned up similar reports from communities they had previously lived in, including New Lisbon and Baraboo, according to the court. Each time the conditions were discovered, they fled to a new location.

Andrea Schneider told police that she purchased the animals in hopes of breeding them and then selling the puppies.

Leo Schneider said he had moved out of the residence around Thanksgiving of 2016, and said his wife had trouble keeping the house clean because of all the animals. He said because the bathtub was clogged and they were afraid to contact the landlord, the children probably had not showered since then. 

Court records do not indicate where the children are currently living.