Milwaukee man charged with animal mistreatment asks for more time; animal advocates push for strong sentence

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) — Animal lovers filled a Milwaukee courtroom Friday for a hearing on a disturbing case of abuse.

Thirty-three-year-old Michael Ellis is charged with five counts of mistreatment to animals, after dozens were found dead in his foreclosed Milwaukee home last year.

Ellis was expected to change his plea to guilty during Friday's hearing, but that didn't happen. Instead, his attorney asked for more time.

Animal advocates hope he will get serious consequences.

"It was disappointing. It would be better if things would move along," said Emily Kinsman, the marketing co-director for Friends of MADACC, who watched Friday's hearing.

Ellis initially pleaded not guilty last October to five felony charges after 50+ animals - dogs, reptiles and birds - were found dead in his home on Teutonia and Villard in Milwaukee.

"I still am traumatized by being in that house -- the total lack of empathy, compassion," said Cindy Steinle, a volunteer humane investigator.

Prosecutors implied that Ellis has been offered a plea deal since his last hearing in January, but a decision wasn't made Friday.

"We really want to see him pay. We are appalled that he only got five charges. I mean, there were so many dead, and so many heavily neglected," Steinle said.

More than a dozen Friends of MADACC volunteers and advocates were in the courtroom Friday.

"As long as the public is showing up, it makes a difference. It makes it so that they know these animals' lives are important," Kinsman said.

The group wants to see harsher punishment for animal abuse cases in Wisconsin.

They have been writing to the district attorney about Ellis' case, asking for a strong sentence.

"At this point, I would love to see the plea deal withdrawn, and I would love to see the maximum time that he could sit on all five felony charges," Steinle said.

They hope his case sets a precedent that Milwaukee won't tolerate hurting animals.

"We are sick of seeing the innocents get hurt, and we aren't going to take it anymore," Steinle said.

Ellis is now scheduled for a plea and sentencing hearing on June 9.

The judge says if he doesn't plead guilty that day, the case will go to trial.