With every light breeze, the odors wafting from the pile of stained and tattered belongings outside of the home at 213 Mifflin St. hit like a punch in the face.
The curbside stench was just a sampling of the conditions inside the house, which had been home to a middle-aged man and his 17 dogs until the Department of Licenses and Inspections declared the property unfit for inhabitation Tuesday. Health Department regulations restrict homeowners to 12 dogs.
Neighbors who had been sickened for years by the smells from the house said they were glad to see the city step in.
"God, it was horrible. You couldn’t barbecue or put a pool out back because the smells were so strong," said one woman, who lived a few doors away.
L&I officials agreed that the odors inside the home — which apparently hadn’t been ventilated in years — were among the worst they have ever encountered.
"I’ve been in homes with dead bodies, and I think this was actually worse," said Kevin Daly, chief of L&I’s Nuisance Task Force.
The department will gut and fumigate the home and place a lien on the property for the cleanup bill, according to L&I Deputy Commissioner Dominic Verdi.
Workers have removed clothing, furniture and other belongings that were shredded and covered with dog and mouse feces.
No charges were brought against the 54-year-old homeowner, who was placed in his daughter’s custody. The man had lived in the home for eight years.
Inside the property, police officers also discovered several guns and hand grenades, which were inert, according to Public Afairs Officer Sheila Smith.
The Philadelphia Animal Care and Control Agency took custody of the dogs, and might put them up for adoption if they’re not claimed within 30 days.
