WILLOW SPRINGS (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A 48-year-old woman from Justice has been charged with abandoning a dog in a trash bag last month in a forest preserve in Willow Springs.
Janiel Mixon is charged with two misdemeanor counts of cruel treatment of an animal and violating an owner’s duties, the Cook County sheriff’s office said in a statement.
An investigation by the sheriff’s police found that Mixon was last in possession of the dog, the sheriff’s office said. She was arrested Feb. 28 and released on a cashless bond.
Vinny was severely underweight with kidney issues but has been improving.
Last week, PETA offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case. A spokesperson for PETA could not immediately be reached Wednesday for comment.