"The stench was overwhelming. The sights were overwhelming. This was bad," said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.
Sharon Cargile, 59, of Chicago, and veterinarian Amardeep Sangha, 54, of Naperville, are charged with five counts of animal cruelty and eight counts of violations of owner's duties, all misdemeanors, a sheriff's spokeswoman said.
In all, deputies found four dead dogs and nine other sick animals at the facility, including eight dogs and a cat, the Southtown Star is reporting.
“The vet came in with an attorney, and he did not speak to us. The manager basically said things got away from her,” Dart said during a news conference outside the Animal Welfare League shelter in Chicago Ridge.
A Dolton police officer made a grisly discovery Sunday when dropping off a stray dog at the animal hospital, the sheriff said.
“He contacted our office, ... and we found four dead dogs (in cages). We found another dead dog in a plastic bag, and ... a handful of live dogs that were taken here (animal shelter),” Dart said, adding that the conditions at the hospital were “well beyond anybody that was just being neglectful.”
Dart said he will propose that the county board “do some licensing in this area going forward for individuals that wish to take municipalities' stray dogs. They'd have to agree to have their facility inspected by a county inspector once a year.”
Linda Estrada, executive director of the Animal Welfare League, said most of the dogs are severely anemic, and the shelter plans to “build them up and care for them,” eventually putting them up for adoption. She said a nursing dog underwent emergency surgery Tuesday that removed her breasts, which had ruptured.
“That's because her puppies had been taken too soon from her, and her body was still producing milk,” Estrada said.
A veterinarian at the shelter, Mark Kahn, said another dog is being treated to try to save a severely infected hind leg that resulted from the dog lying in its feces and urine. Another pit bull had gaping open wounds on its body.
"We were able to successfully perform her operation. She's getting fluids and IV's and pain medicines. And I've got a good feeling she's gonna heal up just fine," staff veterinarian Dr. Mark Hahn said.
Dart added, "Things had more than gotten away. The condition of the place and the animals was very serious."
The six dogs that were brought outside for the news conference were wagging their tails but looked thin.
“You can tell from looking at the dogs, most are malnourished,” Dart said. “I don't understand the dynamics here. ... We had four dogs in cages that were dead. A kitten that later died. The other dogs were in very bad condition. ... This is an area that cries out for more inspection to make sure this doesn't happen again.”
He said a preliminary investigation has not found “any financial issues” at the hospital.
“The whole thing is very puzzling,” Dart said. “We have not had cases like this. The stench was overwhelming. The sights were overwhelming.”
Most of the dogs were strays, but a chip was found on one dog and Estrada has been trying to reach the owner.
As he spoke, Dart cradled a black Labrador mix puppy. The two seemed to take a liking to one another.
“This dog is so beautiful. I'd like to (bring it home). I have to make a phone call first. We have a dog at home and have been talking about getting a second dog,” said Dart, the father of five children under 13.
Estrada said that when the dogs were brought to the shelter Sunday night, “what broke my heart, they all came in wagging their tails. This is what people did to them, and they still loved us. It's like they were so happy to be somewhere, like they knew they were safe.”
Cargile and Sangha are scheduled to appear at a hearing at the Markham Courthouse on Nov. 19, officials said.
(MyFoxBoston - Sep 23, 2014)
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