That's just Mr. Ed

MODESTO, Calif. (AP) - A couple who kept a horse and seven dogs inside their home was arrested for endangering a 12-year-old child after officers found the floor covered in animal feces and rotting produce, authorities said.
While investigating a neighbor's complaint Monday, Modesto Police Animal Control Officer Jennifer Sol discovered the inside of Joe Silva and Nichole Surkala's house infested with flies so thick that Surkala's son had to sleep in a tent to escape them.
"There was nothing in my career that could have prepared me for what I came into," Sol said. "There were flies throughout. The ground had straw all over it. There were feces all over the kitchen. It was not pretty."
The child told her he slept in the tent inside his bedroom "because it was clean," according to Sol. Social workers removed him from the home and put him in protective custody, she said.
Surkala, 37, the boy's mother, and Silva, 30, the boy's stepfather, were arrested on felony child endangerment charges. Surkala posted $25,000 bail later Monday, while Silva remained in jail Tuesday.
The couple rented out the miniature horse for children's parties, and the produce that littered the dwelling was used to feed the animal, said Sgt. Ed. Steele.
"There was produce strewn all over the house, and the animals were defecating all over the house," Steele said. "They were living in it. You couldn't walk anywhere without stepping on the stuff."
Horses are not allowed to be kept anywhere — indoors or out — within Modesto city limits, according to Sol.
The dogs and the horse were taken to an animal shelter, but Silva and Surkala will be allowed to reclaim them, Sol said. The horse appeared to be in good condition, although the dogs looked to be in some distress, she said.