Authorities say a man and a woman in Kentucky left 19 children unattended for a week in a sweltering, filthy home.

The children ranged from 8 months to 14 years old and were found Monday night in a small three-bedroom home near Bowling Green.

Warren County Sheriff's Detective Tim Robinson says the home was littered with dog feces and there was no air conditioning on a day when it reached 101 degrees.

He says Irving "Joe" Smith and Jackie Farah told a neighbor last week that they had a family emergency in Michigan and asked the neighbor to check on the kids.

Deputies said the children behaved as if they were often left alone. The pair told investigators that they plan to return to the area to speak with authorities.