HARVEY-- Cook County Sheriff’s police rescued eight pit bulls from a home in south suburban Harvey Their owner, Michael Whitted, faces animal cruelty and weapons charges.
Whitted, 38, of Lincoln Avenue, was charged with eight counts of cruel treatment to animals, eight counts of animal owner duties, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and one count of possession of firearms without a valid FOID card, according to.the Cook County Sheriff’s office.
Whitted’s Lincoln Avenue home was raided following a two-week long investigation by Cook County Sheriff’s police, Chicago Police and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, who comprise the county’s Animal Crimes Unit.
When officers executed the search warran, they found six dogs in a small yard cluttered with cars and trash. The dogs were “tethered with logging chains and locks, with no food or water in sight,” according to the report.
“Based on the temperament of the dogs, it is believed they were being trained for fighting.”
Two six-month-old puppies were found in urine and feces-filled cages in the garage. Cook County Animal Control took all of the dogs to be examined.
Officers also found two guns at the residence. Whitted is scheduled to appear in court on June 29 in Markham.
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