A man and a woman were taken into custody in relation to a dogfighting ring in suburban Chicago.
Over the weekend, Kankakee County Sheriff’s deputies carried out a search warrant on a property in Pembroke Township.
Billy Walker, 45, faces two counts of animal torture, two counts of severe cruelty to animals, and 18 counts of dogfighting. Yachia Austin, 43, was charged with producing/delivering 400-900 grams of fentanyl and two counts of aggravated fleeing/eluding.
Walker was released from custody after a Kankakee County judge dismissed the state’s request to hold him. Austin is still in jail at the Jerome Combs Detention Center awaiting trial.
Officials did not specify the street where the dogfighting ring operated, nor did they provide the suspects’ next court date.
It was not immediately apparent how many pets were abused or whether other charges were pending.
“This investigation uncovered some of the most disturbing and inhumane treatment of animals that our investigators have encountered,” Kankakee County Sheriff Mike Downey said in a statement. “The evidence recovered from this property, including makeshift dog fighting pits, weighted training collars, spring poles, treadmills modified to force dogs to run continuously and devices designed to stimulate aggressive prey drive, paints a horrifying picture of prolonged cruelty and abuse.”
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