Lemont police said 76 dogs were removed Thursday from a home and garage in the 800 block of McCarthy Road, in what appeared to be a hoarding situation, according to Patch. Andrew Malak, 58, who lived at the property, faces multiple animal-cruelty counts and felony weapons charges.
News reports gave different figures for the number of dogs rescued. Patch reported that 76 were removed; FOX 32 Chicago reported that Ruby Whiskers Animal Rescue described more than 50 dogs being rescued, while authorities confirmed that 76 dogs were removed. CBS News Chicago reported that more than 70 dogs were rescued.
Search Warrant Tied to a Firearms Restraining Order
As noted by Patch, the search warrant that led police to the home was obtained pursuant to a firearms restraining order issued by a Cook County judge. While executing that warrant, officers recovered three weapons from the property, the same account notes. Malak was taken into custody and is now facing animal-cruelty counts and felony weapons charges.
FOX 32 Chicago reported that police and other agencies executed the search warrant Thursday at the home near Julia Street. The same report quotes authorities saying there is no threat to the public. Ruby Whiskers Animal Rescue, which took part in the response, described the conditions inside the home as deplorable and said at least one of the dogs was pregnant, per the station's report.
Some Dogs May Still Be Inside
Even after the bulk of the animals were removed, the situation did not appear fully resolved by Friday morning. Dogs could still be heard barking inside the home, and a neighbor estimated that more than five dogs may remain inside, the same FOX 32 account states. That detail has not been independently confirmed beyond the neighbor's estimate.
Cook County Animal Control, other animal-control agencies and shelters coordinated the dogs’ removal and placement, according to Patch.
A Familiar Pattern in the Lemont Area
This is not the first time a Lemont-area hoarding case has drawn police attention. In December 2011, a Lemont man was charged with animal cruelty after more than 20 animals — four dogs, four goats, eight rabbits and five pigs — were found in hazardous conditions inside a barn he was renting in Palos Park, according to a separate Patch report from that time. Those animals were recovered by the Animal Welfare League, and police said at the time that a few had already had to be put down.
How the Cases Differ
The 2011 Palos Park report said the Animal Welfare League recovered the animals, and police said a few had already had to be put down; it did not detail their later disposition. That case involved 21 animals—dogs, goats, rabbits and pigs—in a rented barn. The current case involved 76 dogs removed from a home and garage in Lemont.Cook County’s Department of Animal and Rabies Control says preventing animal cruelty and abuse under state and county laws is part of its mission.
As of Friday, no court date, plea or case outcome had been reported for Malak. Authorities have said the public faces no danger from the situation.
