No Charges in Puppy Mill Case

There may not be charges filed against two Kankakee County women accused of running a puppy mill.

One of the accused women, Karen Brownfield, appeared in court Friday morning only to learn that no charges had been filed, the Kankakee Daily Journal reported.

Brownfield's sister and business partner, Pat Gorecki, has not been charged, arrested or ticketed.

According to Assistant State's Attorney Ed Pentuic, the case is "still under review."

But while Pentuic says that prosecutors have 18 months to file misdemeanor charges and up to three years to file criminal charges, WLS-TV reported that the case will be dropped altogether. A statement is expected Monday, the station reports.

Fifty-two dogs, many of them suffering from hair loss, urine burns, sores, eye issues and flea dermatitis, were rescued last month from a shed after authorities executed a search warrant. One dog, a female Yorkshire Terrier, had to have a broken leg amputated.

Humane investigators working with law enforcement said the dogs were living in cruel and neglectful conditions..." More

Feb 12, 2010: 50 dogs rescued from puppy mill

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St. Anne puppies with animal control

53 puppies rescued from St. Anne trailer park

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Evanston fire: Hoarding is blamed in fire death

By Brian Cox

An 82-year-old man died in an Evanston house fire Tuesday morning surrounded by stacks of old magazines, newspapers, household goods and other hoarded items, officials said.

Evanston fire investigators say the cause of the blaze was accidental and may have been electrical. It began in the utility room next to the kitchen on the west side of the home in the 2100 block of Cleveland Street, officials said.

Authorities said the man killed in the blaze lived alone, and he may have been trapped in the one-story ranch-style home by a clutter of items.

"It was a hoarding situation," said Division Chief Tom Janetske. "There were some things dated from many years ago. There was a lot of debris around the house making it difficult to walk."..." More

Chicago cop accused of neglecting animals at his suburban getaway

BY FRANK MAIN

A Chicago cop is in the doghouse after being accused of neglecting animals he was keeping at his north suburban weekend getaway.

Officer Richard Kleinpass, 49, faces seven misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals after five dogs and two birds were removed from his Lake County home in Grayslake last month.

Appearing in court Thursday, Kleinpass agreed to forfeit the animals and pay $3,375 to reimburse Lake County for the cost of veterinary bills, food and shelter since Nov. 30, when they were seized.

Lake County Judge Charles Johnson scheduled a Jan. 28 pretrial hearing for Kleinpass, who is facing a separate investigation by the Chicago Police Department's Internal Affairs Division. Kleinpass, a patrol officer in the Albany Park District, has been stripped of his police powers.

Kleinpass said the Village of Grayslake has been harassing him over the condition of his property and that the animal case is a result of that. He called the charges against him an overreaction. The animals were safe and secure, he said..." More

Cats, dogs taken from hotel are euthanized

Veterinarian says conditions didn't allow adoptions

Maureen Feighan

Warren -- Forty-six cats and four dogs taken from a Warren motel room earlier this week have been euthanized after a veterinarian at the Macomb County Animal Shelter determined they weren't adoptable, the county's chief animal control officer said.

The animals were assessed Thursday by a veterinarian at the shelter who deemed their "overall condition was poor" based on age and temperament, said Sue Jeroue.

"The dogs were very aggressive," Jeroue said.

Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer said the animals were found Tuesday inside a room at the Motel 6 on Chicago Road. Police went to the motel room to check on a 45-year-old Sterling Heights woman after a friend of the woman called police, worried about her condition..." More