Here is the local story.
(Donations to P.A.W.S. would be very welcome I bet.)
Web exclusive: Tip leads officials to discovery of Peotone 'puppy mill' 03/04/2008, 7:04 am Comment on this story By Mike Lyons and Janet Cremer
The Daily Journal
A tip from someone suspecting an illegal dog fighting operation in rural Peotone Township led police to the discovery of a "
puppy mill" operating out of an unheated garage. Upwards of 49 dogs, some of which were malnourished and dehydrated, were recovered from a garage reeking of urine and covered with dried dog feces, said Will County Sheriff's Spokesman Pat Barry.
Authorities said in another week, at least a dozen could have died.
The dogs, which ranged in age from 3 months to a few years, were found in cages stacked four high. Some were said to have fur matted so badly they couldn't move. Others had open sores.
The dogs are being cared for by the Peoples Animal Welfare Society (P.A.W.S.) in Tinley Park. Two had to receive veterinary care.
Will County sheriff's police assisted in the raid conducted at 10047 W. Offner Road at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Other police units included the Cook County Sheriff's Special Operations Unit and the officers of the State Animal Abuse Task Force.
Barry said Nikima Wright, 35, the home's owner, gave police permission to enter the garage to investigate. Barry said Wright, who was not arrested, later gave permission for police to remove the dogs and take them to animal care facilities elsewhere.
According to WLS Channel 7 in Chicago, Wright sold the dogs for $600 to $700 each. She delivered the dogs to her customers, never allowing them to visit her in Peotone.
Wright, who didn't have a license to operate a
puppy mill, could face up to 49 counts of animal cruelty.
The anonymous tip came Feb. 20 on the 24-hour hotline of the South Suburban Humane Society in Chicago Heights.
The shelter has its own animal abuse investigation team, but its executive director, Emily Gruszka, said since the call first came in describing a dog fighting ring, they immediately turned information over to Cook County investigators.
Gruszka said that given the conditions of the Peotone
puppy mill, she believes it had been operating for "a long time."
"
Puppy mills are very, very common," said Gruszka, whose shelter takes in 6,000 animals a year. "I really believe a lot of people who go and buy puppies don't know the situation they were raised in."
Gruszka said her shelter's tip line is "constantly full with calls of suspected abuse and neglect. Ever since the Michael Vick case, we've had a lot more tips on dog fighting."
Vick, a star National Football League quarterback, is currently serving time in federal prison for animal cruelty after a dog fighting ring was discovered on his Virginia property last year.
The dogs rescued Saturday include Maltese, Yorkies, Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, poodles, pugs and mixed breeds. Volunteers donated their time Sunday to help bathe and groom them.
P.A.W.S. shelter officials noted on their Web site that "it will be awhile until the dogs are available for adoption as they must gain weight" and be neutered or spayed.
Those interested in adopting a dog are asked to e-mail the shelter to get updates on their progress. Photographs of the dogs can be found at
www.petfinder.com/shelters/pawsforall.html.
You can contact Janet Cremer at
jcremer@daily-journal.com or (815) 937-3384. You can contact Mike Lyons at
mlyons@daily-journal.com or (815) 937-3377