A woman was arrested for animal cruelty after dozens of dogs were rescued from a home, according to police.
On Monday, Wauconda police responded to a complaint about numerous dogs living in “unsanitary and overcrowded conditions, with no air conditioning and evidence of inbreeding.”
Officers immediately noticed a strong urine odor emanating from a home in the 200 block of Sky Hill Road.
Carol Reith, the owner of the house, claimed to have only four dogs and a recent litter of puppies.
She allegedly allowed police to enter her home, but the “overwhelming odors of urine and bleach” forced them to leave.
“We went out into the area. Amanda Dziekanski, Director of Reach Rescue, said, “It is only about 10 minutes from here, and what we saw once we got inside was just horrendous.”
Before police could continue their investigation, the fire department was called in to assess the air quality.
In total, 52 dogs were removed from the home.
“There was stuff everywhere,” Dziekanski explained. “There are no lights on the main floor of the house, so we used flashlights. They had all of the windows covered so the neighbors could not see inside… It was so hot that I am not sure how the dogs survived in there.”
During the rescue, one animal control officer was bitten by a dog and needed medical attention, according to police.
“The smell was horrifying. “Your eyes would just water and burn the whole time you were in there,” Dziekanski explained.
“They are never going to have to spend another day of their life like that,” Dziekanski told me.
The volunteers are getting the furry faces checked out and ready for adoption.
Lake County Animal Control arrived and stated that the living conditions were animal cruelty.
The city declared the house uninhabitable and red-tagged it.
Reith was charged with animal cruelty. She is scheduled to appear in court on July 24 in Waukegan.
