Griselda Martinez, 41, appeared Monday in Cook County court, where her bond was set at $60,000 for one felony count and 11 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals.
Assistant State's Attorney Anisa Jordan said police encountered Martinez and a male companion outside an auto parts store along Rand Road on Sunday.
Police saw the dogs stacked in cages in the back of the van suffering from the effects of heat and a lack of ventilation, Jordan said. One of the dogs appeared lifeless; most were covered in feces and sores, and were foaming at the mouth, she said.
The dogs were taken to a veterinary hospital, where an English bulldog and a French bulldog were pronounced dead, Jordan said. Both had body temperatures over 107 degrees, she said.
Martinez told the officers she was the owner of the animals, Jordan said. She and the male companion, who was not charged, were trying to add coolant to the van's air conditioning unit, Jordan said.
The nine surviving dogs remain hospitalized, she said.
Police said in a news release that Martinez attempted to shut the van's rear door when authorities approached.
Additional officers helped pull the cages from the van, and the dogs that appeared to be in the least distress were cooled and given water at the auto parts store, while others were immediately taken to the animal hospital.
(Chicago Tribune - Aug 17, 2015)
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