CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- An animal rescue group is hoping to prevent the “deportation” of more than a dozen French Bulldogs found in unsanitary conditions at O’Hare airport.
Chicago French Bulldog Rescue has cared for the 15 dogs since they were found Aug. 31, allegedly caged two-by-two in unsanitary conditions at a cargo warehouse while awaiting their medical papers after arriving from Jordan.
One of the dogs died during the three-day period before a tipster notified Chicago police. Upon discovering these conditions and observing the imminent danger to these animals, the Chicago Police Department immediately took custody of the dogs. The dogs were divided between Chicago animal control and the rescue group, which is now pleading for the dogs to stay in the country.
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“We’re asking for amnesty for the dogs,” said Mary Scheffke, president of Chicago French Bulldog Rescue. “They’ve been isolated and they’re healthy.”
According to Sheffke, Royal Jordanian Airlines has demanded that Chicago French Bulldog Rescue return the dogs to their custody so that they can fly them back to Jordan. Royal Jordanian Airlines is not the owner of the dogs. Moreover, these dogs were forcibly removed from the care and custody of Royal Jordanian Airlines, because of the severe neglect suffered at its hands as well as its demonstrated disregard for life. Royal Jordanian Airlines had demanded the dogs be returned while the dogs were still too sick to leave veterinary care and have not inquired as to the condition or health of the dogs other than to ask if they are well enough to fly.
Chicago French Bulldog Rescue has asked that the pups be released to their custody and care permanently, where they will continue their rehabilitation and find them loving homes. If the dogs are released to their rescue, Chicago French Bulldog Rescue has agreed to absorb all incurred and future medical costs. The Humane Society of the United States support Chicago French Bulldog Rescue in its efforts to keep and rehome the dogs.
Scheffke said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will likely secure a federal court order in next few days that will send the dogs back to Jordan on the same airline she accused of neglecting the dogs in the first place.
Scheffke said the CDC and USDA is supporting Royal Jordanian Airlines in their request for deportation. They are asking that the dogs be returned to the custody and control of the entity responsible for the unspeakable cruelty suffered by these dogs. This despite the fact that the dogs have been in quarantined for over 20 days and vaccinated and present no threat of infectious disease. Scheffke is calling on community members to pressure the CDC to reverse its stance.
According to the Sun-Times, the CDC and Royal Jordanian Airlines did not immediately reply to requests seeking comment.
Scheffke told the Sun-Times one of the French Bulldogs dogs tested positive for parvovirus, but has been treated and is now healthy. Scheffke said the airline failed by not ensuring the dogs had medical papers before transporting them.
“If those dogs had been left in the airport, they probably all would’ve tested positive,” she said.
According to Chicago police, on Aug. 31, 17 dogs were confiscated from a warehouse within Chicago's O'Hare Airport. The dogs arrived from Amman, Jordan on Royal Jordanian Airlines. On Aug. 31, a good Samaritan alerted Chicago police that there were numerous dogs in a warehouse living in dire circumstances and urged an investigation. Upon investigation, the police discovered that these dogs were without food and water, dehydrated and in abhorrent sanitary conditions with a cargo handling company at O’Hare after enduring a 13-hour flight from Amman, Jordan. It is unclear what would have happened to these dogs or how long they would have languished had the unrelated third party not taken this heroic step, Scheffke said in a statement.
Police said the dogs were left in the warehouse, because they lacked vaccination documents and would not be released to their new owners by the CDC.
In a statement, the Chicago French Bulldog Rescue said the dogs were found in crates "caked with fecal matter and urine inches thick." The dogs had suffered skin lesions from sitting in their own excrement and one dog has discharge from its eye, Scheffke said.
“The van the rescued dogs were in was covered in flies due to the pups being covered in feces and urine,” one rescue volunteer said in the statement. “It was horrible for them. We couldn’t get the smell off us for days.”
Miami-based Alliance Ground International — in charge of overseeing the Aug. 28 shipment of dogs — was cited for animal cruelty and neglect, the Sun-Times reported. The company denied neglecting the dogs and claimed it had fed, given water, cleaned and moved them to an air-conditioned part of their warehouse, despite one of the dogs in their care dying.
If the group gets amnesty for the dogs, they will be socialized and moved into foster homes, Scheffke said.