North Port fire shines light on years of animal complaints at home

NORTH PORT, Fla. — A fire at a North Port home has left some neighbors shaken after it revealed the property was home to dozens of animals - and several investigations. 

Three days after the fire, a strong rotting smell still lingers over Kurtiss Kueter's backyard. Kueter lives directly behind the home and said the smell was overwhelming, even before the fire. 

Sarasota County Animal Services told WINK News it found an "unknown" number of dead animals, including chinchillas, guinea pigs, quail, chickens, canaries, turtles, fish and other unidentifiable animals in the backyard.

North Port Fire Rescue said two cats and a rabbit also died. 

Kueter said the homeowners are "hoarding" a large of animals in their backyard, posing a health risk. Both the City of North Port and Sarasota County Animal Services said they investigated multiple complaints against the property since 2022. 

Rows of chared cages and overturned pet containers were visible in the home's backyard as flies buzzed around the property on Koltenborn Road. 

One of the homeowners, Nicole Ducheney, denied she is hoarding animals. Ducheney said she rescues animals from across the neighborhood, including birds and chickens. 

"We were not hoarding animals," Ducheney said. "We take care of our animals. They get fed twice a day. They get watered every single day."

Ducheney estimated there were 30 to 40 animals on the property, but said she does not know the exact number. 

Neighbors said they also didn't know how many animals were living there until Sunday's fire. A restoration team said an outside outlet sparked an electrical fire, consuming the entire house. 

"There were dogs running up and down the streets, there were pigs, there were cats just everywhere, running around," said one neighbor, Sarah Kugel. "People were running around trying to catch them, put them in cages, but it's just sad that not all of them made it."

North Port Fire Rescue Chief Scott Titus said crews found 24 cats on the property. Firefighters also found more than 20 chickens, more than 20 rabbits, eight dogs, and one pig. 

Some neighbors started pulling out what they said are hundreds of bird eggs that are still sitting in the home. Kugel said neighbors gave her some chicken eggs, which have started to hatch.

"I personally, and none of us on the street, had any idea that there was even that many animals house," Kugel said. "We saw the cages, but it wasn't to the severity of what we had thought."

Kueter said it's been a problem for the last five years. He said the noise and smell coming from the other side are unbearable. 

"I've never opened my windows, except for the hurricane," Kueter said.

Kueter said his own backyard became filled with maggots, insects and rats as a result. He said the rats caused several thousand dollars worth of damage to his car after they chewed through electrical wiring. 

Kueter provided emails that show he and his wife filed complaints with multiple agencies, including the Florida Department of Health and North Port Police.

Sarasota County Animal Services said it responded to the property multiple times between 2022 and 2025 for animal welfare checks. Animal Services said it found minor violations including tagging and vaccinations, but no violations as a result of cruelty or neglect.

Animal Services said some of the previous complaints were for the "number" of animals which is handled by Code Enforcement.

A North Port city spokesman said the number of chickens "has been a recurring issue with this property." It received three complaints about the number of chickens at the property since 2022.

City Code allows chickens in the backyard of single-family residential lots, restricting homeowners to four hens and no roosters. 

In previous years, the chickens were removed before the complaint could reach a hearing, the city said. 

City inspectors said they found evidence of chickens on Wednesday, including cages and a "significant amount of excrement in the yard."

A row of stacked cages were visible in the property's backyard on Wednesday. More cages sat in the front yard.

North Port said its inspectors will revisit the home on Thursday and Friday. 

Kueter also reached out to the Florida Department of Health. His wife shared photographs with the department, describing cages, animal enclosures, and an overwhelming stench. 

An environmental specialist with the department responded that he was speaking to the property owner about "efforts and methods to optimize the cleanliness of the yard to minimize and eliminate farm smells, flies, and rats."

"However, my supervisor decided not to take legal action against [the owner] at this time because of no clear evidence of sewage on the ground," the email said. 

"It's a shame because we've been trying to get it taken care of," Kueter said. "I mean, not just for ourselves, but for the animals."

Ducheney pushed back and said she loves the animals. She said the family wants to buy some land and build a new property. 

Animal Services said it has four dogs and 20 cats in their custody. It said the owners will keep the remaining four dogs, two cockatiels, and five rabbits. 

However, some neighbors questioned whether they should be allowed to own animals at all. 

"I know the fire was a tragedy," Kugel said. "But the way those animals were held is not okay either."