Protesters, supporters of Chicago Ridge animal shelter meet after horrifying allegations surface
FOX 32 first told you last month about the controversy surrounding a suburban animal shelter.
Former volunteers with the Animal Welfare League in Chicago Ridge shared video of dogs in horrifying conditions.
Now, a Chicago alderman is asking what happened to all those dogs after new video was posted on Facebook. It shows dozens of empty cages left in the alley behind the shelter.
A debate over dogs descended on the Village Hall of Chicago Ridge Tuesday night. The topic: the Animal Welfare League -- a shelter accused of deplorable conditions and mistreating animals.
The room was filled with protesters.
"I want to see reform…better conditions for the animals,” said Nicole Ormsby.
And those who came to show their support.
“I adopted like 8 dogs from the Animal Welfare League within the past 15 years. I’ve always went back,” said Bruce Powell. "The Animal Welfare League is a good thing.
The meeting began with trustee Edmuch Kowalski defending the shelter, scolding the protesters for running a smear campaign on social media based on lies.
"I can tell you the rumors that were on social media were entirely untrue,” he said.
The shelter was investigated by the Department of Agriculture, but cleared. Chicago city alderman Raymond Lopez brought the room to its feet asking for another review.
Alderman Lopez spoke with FOX 32 earlier. We told him our cameras showed no signs of abuse last month. He says that doesn't tell the whole story.