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Thread: Investigators still searching former dog rescue site

  1. #1
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    Investigators still searching former dog rescue site

    This story makes me mad and sad at the same time. I heard on the radio that the woman tried to start her rescue with two pregnant dogs over a year ago, but she was unable to care for the mothers and almost all the puppies died. But the dogs that were alive when inspectors first went in (after the owner's ex-husband made his report) were taken to Lake County Animal Control initially, and if they are adoptable they'll go to other programs when they're healthy.

    =====
    from the Daily Herald:
    Lake County law enforcement authorities will comb through a sampling of 5 tons to 10 tons of dog excrement in plastic garbage bags in an effort to determine the number of dead animals at Muddy Paws Dog Rescue in Deer Park.

    Police spent about five hours Thursday at the shuttered facility off Rand Road and recovered the bodies of 20 dogs, three birds and an opossum, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Mike Mermel said. Authorities initially estimated 17 canines died from neglect at Muddy Paws.

    Advertisement Mermel called Muddy Paws “a feces-filled, carcass-covered death camp for dogs.” He said some of the deceased dogs starved to death after they were sent to Muddy Paws by other rescue operations.

    At least 5 tons to 10 tons of dog excrement was found in a garage fronting Rand Road after Muddy Paws operator Diane Eldrup was arrested by Kildeer police Dec. 17, authorities said. Mermel said it’s believed dead animals were hidden in the feces, but investigators will start by examining only 10 trash bags and halt the search if nothing is found in the sampling.

    “The magnitude of this is beyond comprehension,” Mermel said as investigators worked around him in the stench wearing white protective suits and rubber gloves similar to what’s used at a hazardous materials call.

    Eldrup, 48, is charged with 32 counts of animal cruelty. Kildeer police, who patrol neighboring Deer Park, arrested Eldrup after her estranged husband reported he found dead dogs on the property where she lived with the couple’s 8-year-old boy.

    Prosecutors said $8,000 in cash and a $17,000 cashier’s check was posted by John Breseman of Algonquin to free Eldrup from the Lake County jail on the required 10 percent of a $250,000 bond. Mermel said records show Breseman, who couldn’t be reached for comment, declared personal bankruptcy Dec. 14 in U.S. District Court in Rockford.

    With yellow crime-scene tape around the front of Muddy Paws, Kildeer police received assistance Thursday from the Lake County sheriff’s office and other agencies. Six of the recovered dog carcasses were sent to Lake County veterinarians who are donating their services to perform animal autopsies, known as necropsies.

    Mermel said it’s hoped the necropsies show a cause of death and provide an idea of how long ago the dogs perished.

    Photographs shot by investigators depict a grisly scene inside the living quarters of Muddy Paws, where authorities said many of the dead dogs were discovered. Dogs were found on the floor and hidden in mattresses.

    Some of the deceased dogs in the images were curled next to empty food bowls that had visible bite marks. Other photographs showed the dogs in various states of decomposition.

    Mermel said investigators believe some of the dogs became so hungry they started eating dead canines.

    “Incomprehensive cruelty in which these poor, helpless animals were killed,” he said.

    Dead maggots were found in a refrigerator that contained food inside the living area, not far from a child’s bed, authorities said.

    Waukegan police Sgt. Charlie Burleson, who handles animal abuse cases, was among those called to assist in Thursday’s investigation.

    “This is one of the worst torture cases I’ve probably seen,” Burleson said during a break.

    Visitors had started a memorial at the site. It included a cross, a plastic disc, stuffed dog, a battery-operated candle, dog treats, a squeak toy and a tennis ball.

    Mermel gently placed some of the memorial items in the back of a sport-utility vehicle when police started wrapping up the day.



    Read more: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/2...#ixzz1A6gtSNob
    Praying for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine, and around the world.

    I've been Boo'd ... right off the stage!

    Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
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    "That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas

    "We consume our tomorrows fretting about our yesterdays." -- Persius, first century Roman poet

    Cassie's Catster page: http://www.catster.com/cats/448678

  2. #2
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    Today's Daily Herald editorial about this situation

    We look at the mess that is Muddy Paws Dog Rescue in Deer Park and we ask: How could this happen here?

    How could what was once an established, well-known animal shelter located on a main thoroughfare in the suburbs secretly become home to 19 dead dogs and a pile of feces-filled garbage bags estimated at 5 to 10 tons?

    The focal point of the legal case is Diane Eldrup, the Deer Park shelter operator who was arrested Dec. 17 and is charged with 32 counts of animal cruelty.

    But as Lake County law enforcement officials prepare their case against her, local and state officials also must investigate how Muddy Paws slipped through the cracks of society on a horrific slide to become what one prosecutor called a “death camp for dogs.”

    The sad truth appears to be that state enforcement stopped short of what was needed to protect these animals and local oversight was nonexistent.

    Shelters, such as Muddy Paws, are licensed by the state department of agriculture. Officials say problems similar to those found last month date to 2009, but the case was withdrawn last May when Muddy Paws claimed to be closed. Deer Park officials dropped their pursuit of a business registration when told a similar story.

    No final inspection was done by either agency, and no confirmation was made that the shelter was really closed. That’s not enough for a facility facing violations with lives at stake.

    Neither Lake County nor Deer Park was required to regulate the shelter. But wouldn’t a local agency working in conjunction with the state be able to react quicker to identify such problems and force corrections?

    Instead, this enterprise was able to fly beneath the radar. The first outward hint of trouble surfaced only when Eldrup’s estranged husband went to the shelter — where his ex-wife and 8-year-old son lived — to retrieve some belongings. He saw the dead dogs and called police.

    Just a year earlier, Muddy Paws was working with two other shelter groups to collect food for local pantries to help struggling families. People drove up and dropped off bags of dog food for a good cause during the weeklong drive.

    Its problems were also unknown to a Chicago-area pet magazine that included Muddy Paws on a resource list of animal shelters and rescue groups in its January 2011 edition.

    And, it’s not like Muddy Paws is hidden away on some rural road. It is on Rand Road, where it is passed by thousands of motorists each day.

    Only now are we learning a different story of what was happening there.

    Changes are needed to ensure this doesn’t happen again.



    Read more: http://www.dailyherald.com/article/2...#ixzz1A6hos6C2
    Praying for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine, and around the world.

    I've been Boo'd ... right off the stage!

    Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
    Brrrr, I've been Frosted! Thank you, Asiel and Pomtzu!


    "That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas

    "We consume our tomorrows fretting about our yesterdays." -- Persius, first century Roman poet

    Cassie's Catster page: http://www.catster.com/cats/448678

  3. #3
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    OMG.....that is so terrible. They should lock her up and throw the key away


    "I'm Back !!"

  4. #4
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    How totally disgusting is that? While my heart breaks for those poor, neglected, abused animals one thing really concerns me... the 8 year old who lived there. What did he see? What was he told by his mom about the conditions and the animals? How will all of this effect him especially his attitude on how animals should be treated and cared for?

    This (insert your own expletive) deserves the maximum sentence the law allows... and then some! As for the kid, here's hoping Dad can help him through and learn to respect all living creatures.

    Play hard at the Rainbow Bridge, puppies
    FIND A PURPOSE IN LIFE.....BE A BAD EXAMPLE

  5. #5
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    5 to 10 TONS of waste? Seriously??

    I have NO idea how long it takes to accumulate 5 to 10 TONS of dog waste, but I know it is a LONG time. I own a 25 run boarding kennel and a grooming shop. I have seven dogs of my own, and I always have somewhere between 1 and 10 rescue or foster dogs. I've done this for fifteen years, and I bet there has been no where NEAR 5 to 10 tons of dog poo generated here in a decade and a half.

    To imply that this was recently a nice place, well-monitored by authorities ... I don't buy it. It takes a long time to come up with 20,000 pounds of dog poo!
    "We give dogs the time we can spare, the space we can spare and the love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made" - M. Facklam

    "We are raised to honor all the wrong explorers and discoverers - thieves planting flags, murderers carrying crosses. Let us at last praise the colonizers of dreams."- P.S. Beagle

    "All that is gold does not glitter, Not all those who wander are lost; The old that is strong does not wither, Deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, A light from the shadows shall spring; Renewed shall be blade that was broken, The crownless again shall be king." - J.R.R. Tolkien

  6. #6
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    Just one last thought. The shelter from which I adopted Cassie has many people helping out. They have a paid shelter director and a couple of part-time people who oversee donations of supplies and financial contributions, mailings, the cats' vet appointments, events, that sort of thing. The shelter director reports to the board of directors, who are all volunteers. They really work well together, the board and the director. There are a bunch of volunteers who do everything from feeding the cats and washing and refilling water dishes, to playing with them, giving them petting and hugs and love, keeping the shelter floors and walls clean, helping to socialize shy cats, taking care of the cats' ongoing health care needs. Even the building itself, making sure the sidewalk is swept or shoveled, washing windows, putting the trash out. It takes many people to make the place go. From what I've read on PT, there are a LOT of other good organizations set up like this, that are doing right on behalf of animals.

    I think this woman had good intentions but she couldn't do it on her own. She quickly got in over her head and things went from bad to worse. I also think she might have been an animal hoarder.
    Praying for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine, and around the world.

    I've been Boo'd ... right off the stage!

    Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
    Brrrr, I've been Frosted! Thank you, Asiel and Pomtzu!


    "That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas

    "We consume our tomorrows fretting about our yesterdays." -- Persius, first century Roman poet

    Cassie's Catster page: http://www.catster.com/cats/448678

  7. #7
    I've grown so weary of this type of thing happening over and over again. It's one thing to become overwhelmed. It's quite another to allow animals to starve and die right next to their food dish. That's cruelty. And for up to 10 tons of feces to pile up, Twisterdog is right; that takes years. The authorities and the powers that be are just as accountable as this woman, perhaps even the neighbors are as well. Don't tell me that no strong odor was coming from that place. If just one litterbox in my basement has a recent deposit in it, the odor can be overwhelming. The people who try so hard to save animals from this type of neglect, abuse and cruelty I'm sorry to say will probably never win. There will always be people who makes excuses for the perpetrators and it's the animals who will continue to suffer needlessly. It's a shame and it's a crime and the people responsible should be punished to the fullest extent of the law without apology or regret.
    Blessings,
    Mary



    "Time and unforeseen occurrence befall us all." Ecclesiastes 9:11

  8. #8
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    Hi Elyse, Any updates or new developments (like the "owners" fell into a huge sinkhole and can't get out)?
    FIND A PURPOSE IN LIFE.....BE A BAD EXAMPLE

  9. #9
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    OMG that is so digusting & horrible.. Just makes you want to throw up.. Wom that is a understatement of what I would do to this lady..

    Quote Originally Posted by wombat2u2004 View Post
    OMG.....that is so terrible. They should lock her up and throw the key away

    ~~~Thank You Very Much {Kim} kimlovescats for the Grand Siggy~~~

    [[ Furr Babies are Like Potato Chips **** No One Can Have Just One ]]
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  10. #10
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    Like Medusa, I am also weary about hearing of these nightmares. It's all over and it's not going away, no matter how hard we try. We have the same issues with our Dept. of Ag. The director needs firing as he's NOT doing his job. Home Raised Puppies is a good example. Puppy mill dogs sold. The whole thing just really chaps my @$$. That's why I'm glad there's a new Governor in CT. Hopefully he'll do the house cleaning that's been MUCH needed since Rowland was impeached and Rell took over.

    Rest In Peace Casey (Bubba Dude) Your paw print will remain on my heart forever. 12/02
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  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by momcat View Post
    Hi Elyse, Any updates or new developments (like the "owners" fell into a huge sinkhole and can't get out)?
    Here's the latest. I hope they throw the book at her (although it'll only be a small paperback) for the cruelty she inflicted on her child and on these animals. I also hope the Illinois Department of Agriculture (which licenses shelters) looks at the situation and makes changes -- see the Daily Herald editorial up above.

    What makes me sad about this is that there are well-run shelters around here doing good work on behalf of homeless pets, and volunteer organizations that make pet therapy visits to hospitals and nursing homes, and organizations that will help ill or elderly people care for their pets (like AIDS patients who shouldn't clean cat litter pans so as not to get toxoplasmosis). And this story casts a bad light on all of them.

    Thank you, Momcat for reminding me to look!
    elyse

    http://newssun.suntimes.com/news/317...p-charges.html
    Last edited by cassiesmom; 01-14-2011 at 01:07 PM.
    Praying for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine, and around the world.

    I've been Boo'd ... right off the stage!

    Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
    Brrrr, I've been Frosted! Thank you, Asiel and Pomtzu!


    "That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas

    "We consume our tomorrows fretting about our yesterdays." -- Persius, first century Roman poet

    Cassie's Catster page: http://www.catster.com/cats/448678

  12. #12
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    They shouldn't just throw the book at her, throw the entire law library!!!!! After reading your update, this (insert your own expletives) deserves nothing less than the maximum allowed under the law and then some

    We had an abuse case here a few winters back. Some woman who was trying to pass herself off as a human being abandoned a cat in the woods on one of the coldest nights of the year. She was caught, arrested, and stood trial. Not only was she found guilty, the judge sentenced her to spend the night in the woods (on another very cold night) just like the poor cat. She was taken out there by the State Police and they stood guard all night to make sure she served the entire sentence. Way to go, Judge!!!
    FIND A PURPOSE IN LIFE.....BE A BAD EXAMPLE

  13. #13
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    I like you all's law.. Thats good making that women have to spend the night out side in the cold.. Poor kitty.. Was the kitty ok?? I hope the baby got a new good home..

    Quote Originally Posted by momcat View Post
    They shouldn't just throw the book at her, throw the entire law library!!!!! After reading your update, this (insert your own expletives) deserves nothing less than the maximum allowed under the law and then some

    We had an abuse case here a few winters back. Some woman who was trying to pass herself off as a human being abandoned a cat in the woods on one of the coldest nights of the year. She was caught, arrested, and stood trial. Not only was she found guilty, the judge sentenced her to spend the night in the woods (on another very cold night) just like the poor cat. She was taken out there by the State Police and they stood guard all night to make sure she served the entire sentence. Way to go, Judge!!!

    ~~~Thank You Very Much {Kim} kimlovescats for the Grand Siggy~~~

    [[ Furr Babies are Like Potato Chips **** No One Can Have Just One ]]
    ****** Kindness, Mercy & Justice to All Living Creatures ******
    {{{{{Everyday is a Gift = That's why it's Called the Present }}}}}
    ((( Each Day With Our Pets is a Surprise Package Waiting to be Opened )))
    <Sunsets are God's Reminder to Us That At The End of the Day We're All In This Together>

  14. #14
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    I find it ridiculous that she's getting up to 8 years in prison. I'm sorry, but I think she deserves at least 20. This is animal torture. Finding one dead animal that was neglected is enough... but that many animals? 8 years of her life in jail? Not including what her son has seen and learned from this situation.

    Just sickening.

    *Sammy*Springen*Molli*

  15. #15
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    The good news is... according to their Web site, Lake County (IL) animal control works with two organizations to help get animals adopted. I'd heard of Save-a-Pet up in Grayslake but not Orphans of the Storm. So hopefully the surviving dogs can go to new homes when they are healthy enough to be adopted. That would be something good to come out of this.


    http://www.saveapetil.org
    http://www.orphansofthestorm.org/
    Praying for peace in the Middle East, Ukraine, and around the world.

    I've been Boo'd ... right off the stage!

    Aaahh, I have been defrosted! Thank you, Bonny and Asiel!
    Brrrr, I've been Frosted! Thank you, Asiel and Pomtzu!


    "That's the power of kittens (and puppies too, of course): They can reduce us to quivering masses of Jell-O in about two seconds flat and make us like it. Good thing they don't have opposable thumbs or they'd surely have taken over the world by now." -- Paul Lukas

    "We consume our tomorrows fretting about our yesterdays." -- Persius, first century Roman poet

    Cassie's Catster page: http://www.catster.com/cats/448678

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