(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — A northwest suburban Huntley man pleads guilty in an animal cruelty case, avoiding jail time.
Bruce Walla, 55, pleaded guilty to one count of animal cruelty.
In exchange, 18 additional counts of animal cruelty as well as 19 counts of violating animal owner’s duties were dropped – and Walla was sentenced to “conditional discharge.”
The investigation began over the summer, after Boone County Sheriff's and animal control officials helped capture 54 Maltese mixes from a dog park in Belvedere.
He and 61-year-old Concepcion Rodriguez are accused of dumping the dogs in July.
Further investigation found a dog, turtle and 17 cats in their Huntley home suffering from declined health because of “poor living conditions.”
The home was later deemed uninhabitable.
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