Richard Kleinpass, a Chicago police officer, is being charged with seven counts of cruelty to animals after authorities seized five dogs and two birds from his weekend home:
[Kleinpass] called the charges against him an overreaction. The animals were safe and secure, he said.
Safe and secure in urine and feces apparently:
“I’ve never smelled anything like it,” [investigating officer Joe] Manges said. “They were living in their own urine and feces.”
Some of the dogs’ teeth were rotted, and the animals are now on soft-food diets, Manges said. Others were suffering from skin diseases and were emaciated, he said.
[…]
Manges said police made several attempts to contact Kleinpass. After four days, police got a warrant to enter the property and rescue the animals, which they said were left without food or water. The home wasn’t heated, and the temperature dipped to about 30 degrees at night, Manges said.
Kleinpass has forfeited the pets and they will be rehomed or taken to a no kill shelter. Kleinpass is under investigation for another matter by Internal Affairs and has been stripped of his powers as a police officer. He is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing next month.