Village of Lemont looking into creating ordinance after 76 dogs rescued from home
A man accused of keeping 76 dogs inside a home in Lemont, Illinois, was released pretrial after a judge denied the state's request to detain him on a gun charge during a hearing in Bridgeview.
The case started with threats involving a firearm, but when officers searched the man's home, they found all of those dogs living inside, with dangerously high levels of ammonia.
Now, Lemont's police chief says he plans to introduce an ordinance to stop this from happening again.
Neighbors shared video of dogs barking overnight Saturday at the condemned home on McCarthy Road.
"We could still hear some dogs, obviously, that were ... that had been left behind," said neighbor Myra Bertling.
By Sunday morning, a rescue came to pick up more from the property.
"I think it just makes us all relieved they're going to be in homes where they're in a safe environment," Bertling said.
Prosecutors say the investigation into recovering the dogs started in July, when police responded to a report that the homeowner, Andrew Malak, had threatened to shoot a utility worker. His firearm owner's identification card was later revoked.
Weeks later, a neighbor contacted police, reporting the same man threatened to kill her and her dogs. That prompted a detective to seek a firearm restraining order and a search warrant for the home.
Once inside, officers recovered two handguns and found all of those dogs living in dangerous conditions. Prosecutors said there were dangerously high ammonia levels in the home.
"The living conditions and housing conditions for them was a bit deplorable and that's why this action had to be taken," said Police Chief Jason LoCoco.
In a text message, Andrew Malak told CBS News Chicago, "I was saving animals from being killed just like everyone is trying ... I was trying to create a two-tier program that helped pregnant dumped dogs with individuals with disabilities or older communities."
"I see the side of it, wanting to help dogs and keep them from getting euthanized," Bertling said.
Chief loCoco says the animals were found healthy and cared for, but the village has no ordinance regulating how many animals can be kept in a residential home.
"We are definitely currently looking at whether there should be an ordinance," he said. "It was never an issue until it became an issue."
The details of the ordinance, including what restrictions it could impose and how it would be enforced, will become clear as the proposal moves forward.
"Ordinance is good for the neighborhood and I think Lemont in general," LoCoco said.
Malak's next court date is a status hearing in Bridgeview in November.
LoCoco is already looking into other municipalities' policies about animal regulations to bring to the village board.
