Chicago police rescued six dogs from “absolutely horrible conditions” while investigating an unrelated matter at a home in the Austin neighborhood on Monday, according to a CPD spokesperson and an animal rescue shelter.
Three adult pit bull mixes and three pit bull mix puppies were found emaciated and weak, according to police. Five of the dogs will be joining Safe Humane Chicago’s “court case dog” program to undergo training and social skill development before entering a rescue program.
Veterinary staff at Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center are treating the sixth dog, which is the puppies’ father.
Police said officers who responded to an unrelated call saw a black and white pit bull named Jax sitting outside a home on the 5400 block of West Potomac shortly before 11 a.m. on Monday.
Jax was “severely emaciated to the point of ribs and spine showing through his coat,” a police spokesperson said. Officers said Jax showed signs of a skin condition and appeared lethargic, weak, and dehydrated.
The cops transported Jax to Niles Animal Hospital.
Meanwhile, other officers at the home asked a woman about the dog as she left an apartment. The woman, 22-year-old Breanna Evans, admitted that she owned Jax, police said. And she told officers that she had two other dogs in her residence, according to CPD spokesperson Kellie Bartoli.
Police found a gray adult female pit bull mix named Diamond inside a pantry within Evans’ apartment. The dog had “bite marks all over the right side of her body, her ear, the top of her head, and both front legs,” Bartoli said
Behind a second pantry door, officers allegedly found a brown female pit bull mix named Cooked in severely emaciated condition with open sores on her body.
Cops also rescued three pit bull puppies that were found on soiled puppy pads inside a 10-gallon tote bag. Their nails were curling under their paws, Bartoli said. The puppies are believed to be four- to five weeks old.
Police reportedly found Evans’ home littered with feces, infested with flies, and lacking adequate food, water, and bedding for the dogs.
Evans said the brown female recently had a litter of 12 puppies and said she had given nine of them away.
The mother dog and her pups were also taken to Niles Animal Hospital.
Chicago Animal Care and Control took possession of the gray adult female, which was in better health than the other dogs.
Prosecutors charged Evans with felony aggravated cruelty to animals, six misdemeanor counts of failure to perform animal owner duties, two misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals, and six animal-related ordinance violations. She is due in bond court on Tuesday afternoon. Police said she relinquished all rights of ownership to the dogs.
Garrido Stray Rescue Foundation said on Facebook they will be seeking a foster home for Jax after he’s released from the hospital. They’re currently raising money to pay for his veterinary treatment.
“We are calling him Francis (Frank) after St. Francis. He is very sick and needs your prayers,” the foundation told its Facebook followers. [Warning: Facebook post includes disturbing photos at the bottom of the page].