A 70-year-old man was arrested Wednesday after police uncovered a suspected dog fighting ring in a west suburban home, officials said.
Paul Wade, of the 1900 block of South 2nd Avenue in Maywood, was charged with one felony count of owning, breeding or training dogs for dog fighting, one felony count of dog fighting equipment and six misdemeanor counts of both violating animal owner duties and cruelty to animals. He was also charged with felony possession of a controlled substance, possession of cannabis and two misdemeanor counts of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition with an expired FOID card.
Officers removed multiple dogs, collars and chains from a Maywood home in the 1900 block of South 2nd Avenue after raiding the residence early Wednesday morning.
The Chicago Police Department’s animal crimes unit along with the Cook County Sheriff's Office, spent hours on the scene removing the animals and were seen taking photos of the home’s garage area.
Police said six underweight dogs were taken from the scene with scars indicative of dog fighting.
Police say the raid was the result of a long investigation into a potential dog fighting ring. No details have been released as to how officials were first made aware of the situation, but neighbors seemed shocked to learn that a dogfighting ring was operating on their block.
“I’ve lived out here 35 years and I haven’t ever seen no [sic] dogfight,” one neighbor told NBC Chicago.
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A man and a woman who were also living at the home where the ring was discovered would not comment, and both insisted police were never at their home Wednesday even after NBC Chicago told them it was all on camera.
