Illinois woman charged after 52 dogs rescued from uninhabitable home, police say
52 dogs rescued from hoarding situation in suburban home, police say
A Wauconda woman is facing animal cruelty charges after authorities discovered more than 50 dogs living in filthy and overcrowded conditions inside her home, police said.
WAUCONDA, Ill. - A Wauconda woman has been charged with animal cruelty after authorities rescued 52 dogs living in "deplorable" and "overcrowded" conditions inside her home, police said.
What we know:
The alarming discovery was made on Wednesday, when officers responded to a home in the 200 block of Sky Hill Road following an anonymous report of suspected animal cruelty.
Police said the caller alleged that 50 to 60 dogs were being kept in unsanitary conditions with no air conditioning and signs of inbreeding.
When officers arrived, they were reportedly met with the stench of urine from outside the home and noticed feces in the driveway.
Police say the homeowner, identified as Carol Reith, 59, initially told officers she had four dogs but later admitted to having a recent litter of puppies.
An officer who entered the home had to retreat due to "overwhelming odors of urine and bleach," according to a police statement.
The Wauconda Fire Department was called to evaluate the air quality but did not detect any hazardous levels.
"The smell was so strong, we had to keep going outside for fresh air even with a mask on," said Amanda Dziekanski, who is one of the directors at Reach Rescue.
"It's hard to even explain what it looked like. There were feces, urine, vomit, anything you could think of," added Wags 2 Wishes Animal Rescue Director Alyssa Zommick. "Our throats were burning; our eyes were burning."
Lake County Animal Control and Waukegan Police Animal Control responded, and with the assistance of two animal rescues—Reach Rescue and Wags 2 Wishes—were able to safely evacuate the animals.
"It was no small task removing that many dogs from the house," said Det. Sgt. Heather Cognac, Wauconda Police Department.
The Lake County Health Department was notified and, after assessing the scene, deemed the conditions to be consistent with animal cruelty.
Officials determined the house to be uninhabitable.
"The house was red tagged by our Building and Zoning [authorities]. We reached out to the Lake County Health Department, they have a crisis team, so we're hoping that we can try to get some resources to the homeowner," Cognac said.
Dogs removed from home:
It took a team of people hours to find the animals through piles of debris, boxes, and unsanitary spaces, according to rescuers.
Authorities removed 52 dogs from the residence. During the effort, one animal control officer was bitten and required medical attention.
The animals are safe now and beginning to adjust, but will need medical care and, hopefully soon, loving forever homes.
One of the dogs rescued from squalid conditions has been named Zuri—after the character from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Like the other animals, Zuri is getting a new 'leash' on life.
"Learning to live as somebody's family member, and not just a number running around the house," said Dziekanski.
Dziekanski and her team at Reach Rescue, located in Mundelein, were called in to help when police discovered the hoarding situation. They are currently caring for four of the rescued dogs.
Meanwhile Wags 2 Wishes in Plainfield has taken in 16 of the rescued animals and has committed to caring for at least three more.
All the rescued dogs are being spayed or neutered, getting their vaccines, and being treated by vets.
"[For] respiratory issues, skin infections, our little guy that we have has a really bad eye infection," Dziekanski said.
But, they are already showing signs of improvement and trust.
"It's clear they were living inside for all of these years. They surprisingly are coming around pretty quick, they're letting everyone handle them, they're excited to be outside and around people," Zommick said.
Zommick shared that sadly, one of the puppies in the litter did not survive through the night.
No deceased animals were located in the home.
What's next:
Reach Rescue and Wags 2 Wishes, which are both nonprofits, rely on the generous support of donors. Zommick shares that Wags 2 Wishes is currently in need of puppy supplies, as they are caring for a new litter. The organization can be reached at (815) 254-3110.
Reach Rescue also operates a resale shop next to its Mundelein center, where proceeds go directly into caring for the animals. For more information, click HERE or call (847) 566-6799.