A house was so jammed with clutter that it took two days before the homeowner's body was discovered amid the debris, US authorities say.
Only after city officials brought in a contractor to remove piles of debris from the home did cadaver dogs help crews in protective suits and breathing gear find the 67-year-old man on Thursday.
At one point during the search, emergency workers who had looked through multiple piles of clutter without finding the man cut holes in the roof to gain access through the attic.
The debris reached the ceiling in some areas.
The carcasses of two dogs and a raccoon found amid the squalor distracted cadaver dogs used in the search.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
A chihuahua was alive amid the disarray.
Leo Gregg, a friend of the man, told local television stations he was caring for the dog, named Buddy.
"I knew that dog meant everything to him," Gregg said.
Also found were milk jugs filled with urine as the bathroom was inaccessible because of the clutter.
"We just could not get around or find anything," Dallas Fire-Rescue Lieutenant Joel Lavender said.
Authorities went to the house the previous weekend on a welfare check after the unidentified man had not been heard from since March 15.
"It honestly looks as though if you didn't throw away anything - anything at all for, say, 20 years - that's what your house would look like inside," neighbour Mary Pat Rodriguez told local media.
It's not clear if foul play is suspected in the man's death.
