Suburban Chicago man charged in killing of son’s emotional support dog: prosecutors

HANOVER PARK - A suburban Chicago man accused of killing his son’s emotional support dog appeared in court Tuesday on a felony animal cruelty charge, prosecutors said.

Sandeep Dhillon, 47, is charged with one count of aggravated cruelty to animals, a Class 4 felony, according to the DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office.

Pictured is Sandeep Dhillon, 47. (DuPage County State's Attorney )

Prosecutors said Dhillon also is on pretrial release in an unrelated DuPage County case involving domestic battery, aggravated battery to a peace officer and assault. The state has filed a motion to revoke his pretrial release in that case, with a hearing scheduled for Thursday.

What we know:

The charge stems from an incident reported shortly after 1 p.m. Aug. 17, 2025, at a home in the 1900 block of Grosse Point Court in Hanover Park.

Hanover Park police responded to a report of possible animal cruelty and found the dog, Ace — a 4-year-old mixed-breed pit bull — dead on the floor, covered by a blanket and positioned with his head on a pillow, prosecutors said.

Ace was registered as an emotional support animal with the U.S. Service Animals Official Service and Support Animal Registration.

Authorities said blood was visible in and around the dog’s mouth and nose, and the left side of his face appeared swollen. A small pool of blood was found near the dog’s head.

Prosecutors said Dhillon’s children confronted him about Ace’s whereabouts around 12:30 p.m. after discovering the dog’s cage empty except for a broken collar. The children later found Ace on the garage floor bleeding, with a swollen face and a leash knotted around his neck.

One of the children called their mother, who returned home from work and contacted police, the state’s attorney’s office said.

Dig deeper:

Investigators found what appeared to be blood on the metal railing of a sliding glass door leading to the backyard, as well as dried red residue and dog fur on the door frame, prosecutors said. Blood drops were also found inside the home, through the kitchen, on the threshold of the garage door and on wooden steps leading into the garage.

A wooden table leg recovered from the garage had dog hair stuck to one end and visible staining, authorities said. Outside the home, police found a pillowcase on the backyard patio covered in blood and feces.

A necropsy conducted by the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine found dried blood in the dog’s fur, paws and mouth, along with swelling to the left side of the face and neck.

The examination also revealed a significant amount of hemorrhaging in the tissues of the face and neck consistent with blunt force trauma, prosecutors said.

"The amount of blood loss was sufficient to have caused death," the necropsy concluded, according to the state’s attorney’s office.

Dhillon was taken into custody Monday, Jan. 12.

What they're saying:

"It is alleged that Sandeep Dhillon violently killed Ace, who was not just the family dog, but also a registered emotional support dog for one of his children," Berlin said. "These allegations are simply unconscionable and will be met with the full force of the law. This is a heart-breaking case for all those involved, particularly the children. Because of his alleged actions, Mr. Dhillon is now facing a serious felony charge," said DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin.

What's next:

Dhillon is scheduled to appear in court Thursday for a hearing on the motion to revoke his pretrial release. He is also due back in court Feb. 9.