Pet-Abuse.Com - Animal Abuse Case Details: Dog thrown over fence, beaten to death

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Case ID: 11006

Classification: Beating, Throwing

Animal: dog (pit-bull)

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Abuse was retaliation against animal's bad behavior

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Dog thrown over fence, beaten to death
Joliet, IL (US)

Incident Date: Saturday, Mar 17, 2007
County: Will

Charges: Misdemeanor, Felony CTA
Disposition: Alleged

Alleged: Timothy Wallisch

Case Updates: 4 update(s) available

An animal crimes investigator exhumed the bloody body of a pit bull from a shallow grave after neighbors complained of its owner's brutality.

Bob Darin, an investigator licensed by the state, made the grisly discovery March 19 afternoon in the alley between Hebbard and Siegmund streets in Joliet.

"He beat the living s--- out of it," Darin said after tearing open the black plastic garbage bag the dog had been stuffed in before it was buried.

The right side of the dog's body was caked with blood. Darin said one leg appeared broken and the animal bore marks consistent with a beating. He took the animal from its grave to Joliet Township Animal Control, where it would be frozen for a trip south to Champaign, where it would undergo a necropsy at the University of Illinois.

Darin said he was alerted to the alleged animal abuse on Sunday by an investigator with the state's Department of Agriculture.

Neighbors had reported that the dog escaped from the yard of its owner March 17, Darin said. The owner caught the dog and threw it over a wooden fence and back into his yard, he said. The dog apparently broke its leg when it plummeted to the ground.

Darin said neighbors noticed the man burying his dog some time after tossing it over his fence. They "called various police stations and animal controls, and it got to me."

"From what I can view," Darin said, "(the dog) was severely beaten to death."

The dog's owner was not home while Darin was digging up the dead animal just beyond the man's fenced back yard. Still, a county deputy was there for protection.

"I called for police backup because (the owner) is a known criminal and possibly gang-affiliated," Darin said.

A police source said the resident of the house from which the dog escaped was released from the county jail in recent weeks. He reportedly was incarcerated on a traffic charge.

Dan Flannery, the deputy standing by for Darin, said he planned to document the discovery.

"Based on what I've seen, that's a criminal offense, so I'll have to do a report," Flannery said.

Darin also said he intended to report his findings, and that he was going to State's Attorney James Glasgow with the matter.

"I will contact Mr. Glasgow with the case and I'm sure he will prosecute it to its fullest," he said.

Case Updates

An East Side carpenter arrested nearly a year ago in connection with his dog's death now faces a felony.

A grand jury indicted 29-year-old Timothy Wallisch on a felony charge of aggravated cruelty to animals along with a misdemeanor cruel treatment of animals charge.

Wallisch was arrested in June for allegedly tossing his dog over a fence and into his backyard in March 2007. The dog's bloody body was found in a shallow grave behind Wallisch's South Hebbard Street house.

Bob Darin, who was working as a state-licensed animal crimes investigator, exhumed the body of the dog from the alley running between Hebbard and Siegmund streets after neighbors made allegations of brutality against Wallisch.

The right side of the dog's body was caked with blood. Darin said one leg appeared broken and the animal bore marks consistent with a beating.

A necropsy performed on the body revealed the dog suffered contusions and fractures to its skull; severe brain damage; bruises to its neck and chest; injuries to its lungs and other organs; and a dislocated shoulder, according to a letter from veterinarian Michael Buedel of Plainfield. The dog also had shredded pieces of plastic in its stomach.

The June arrest was for a misdemeanor charge. While this week's indictment was for a felony, Wallisch will remain free on his previous bond. He is due to appear in court May 9.

Darin said he took satisfaction in the indictment.

"I testified before the grand jury," Darin said. "I feel they made the right decision."

Source: Suburban Chicago News - April 21, 2008
Update posted on Apr 21, 2008 - 10:33AM

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The East Side carpenter wanted in connection with the death of his dog was jailed Monday and held on a $50,000 bond.

Timothy Wallisch, 28, of 310 S. Hebbard St., was arrested on the misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty.

A warrant for Wallisch's arrest was issued June 2. The misdemeanor warrant carries the rather high $50,000 bond. Wallisch needs $5,000 in cash to secure his release.

Wallisch is accused of tossing his dog over a fence and into his backyard in March. The dog's bloody body was found in a shallow grave behind Wallisch's house.

Bob Darin, a state-licensed animal crimes investigator, exhumed the body of the pit bull from the alley running between Hebbard and Siegmund streets after neighbors made allegations of owner brutality.

The right side of the dog's body was caked with blood. Darin said one leg appeared broken and the animal bore marks consistent with a beating.

A necropsy performed on the body revealed the dog suffered contusions and fractures to its skull; severe brain damage; bruises to its neck and chest; injuries to its lungs and other organs; and a dislocated shoulder, according to a letter from veterinarian Michael Buedel of Plainfield. The dog also had shredded pieces of plastic in its stomach.

"Because the dog was found in a similar plastic bag, one can (hypothesize) that the dog was still alive in the bag and tried to eat its way out," Buedel said in his letter.

Wallisch was due to appear in court on June 12, 2007.

Source: Joliet Herald News - June 12, 2007
Update posted on Jan 3, 2008 - 12:45AM

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Animal cruelty charges were filed against a dog owner Friday, months after his pet was found slain and buried in an alley.

Timothy Wallisch, 28, of 310 S. Hebbard St., has not yet been arrested on the misdemeanor charge.

Wallisch is accused of tossing his dog over a fence and into his backyard in March. The dog's bloody body then found its way into a shallow grave behind Wallisch's house.

Bob Darin, a state-licensed animal crimes investigator, exhumed the body of the pit bull from the alley running between Hebbard and Siegmund streets after neighbors made allegations of its owner's brutality.

The right side of the dog's body was caked with blood. Darin said one leg appeared broken and the animal bore marks consistent with a beating.

A necropsy performed on the body revealed the dog suffered contusions and fractures to its skull, severe brain damage, bruises to its neck and chest, injuries to its lungs and other organs and a dislocated shoulder, according to a letter from veterinarian Michael Buedel of Plainfield. The dog also had shredded pieces of plastic in its stomach.

"Because the dog was found in a similar plastic bag, one can (hypothesize) that the dog was still alive in the bag and tried to eat its way out," Buedel said in his letter.

"A misdemeanor charge was filed," said Charles B. Pelkie, spokesman for State's Attorney James Glasgow's office. "Other aspects of the case remain under investigation and we're contemplating additional charges."

Those additional charges may be stiffer than the misdemeanor facing Wallisch now.

"If additional charges are filed, there's the possibility they could be felony charges," Pelkie said.

Stephanie Bell, of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, was pleased with the decision to charge Wallisch.

"My feeling is this case is being taken seriously, which I'm heartened by," she said.

Source: Joliet Herald News, IL - June 2, 2007
Update posted on Jan 3, 2008 - 12:44AM

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National animal rights groups have called on top prosecutor James Glasgow to pursue criminal charges against a local man accused of a dog torture-slaying.

"This beaten and crippled dog was likely in extreme physical pain as a result of his injuries, and his suffering and agony would have only been increased and prolonged if he was indeed bagged up and entombed alive," Dan Paden of the group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals wrote in a letter to Glasgow.

Paden, a researcher for PETA's Domestic Animal and Wildlife Rescue & Information Department, was addressing the case of a pit bull killed more than a month ago.

A state investigator pulled the dog's bloody body from a shallow grave in an alley between Siegmund and Hebbard streets March 19. A necropsy performed on the carcass revealed the dog suffered contusions and fractures to its skull, severe brain damage, bruises to its neck and chest, injuries to its lungs and other organs and a dislocated shoulder, according to a letter from veterinarian Michael Buedel of Plainfield. The dog also had shredded pieces of plastic in its stomach.

"Because the dog was found in a similar plastic bag, one can (hypothesize) that the dog was still alive in the bag and tried to eat its way out," Buedel said in his letter.

Bob Darin, the state-licensed animal abuse investigator who exhumed the dog, made the grisly discovery while a county deputy stood by. The deputy filed a report on the matter that included an eyewitness account from a neighbor.

The neighbor reportedly told the deputy he saw the dog's owner "pick up his chocolate pit bull and throw the dog over a 6-foot fence into his backyard. (He) then mumbled to himself, 'I'm going to kill you.'"

Other neighbors were not as forthcoming, the deputy said in his report, as the dog's owner is known for "violent behavior" and may be "associated with a gang or gang activity."

Five weeks later, this man remains at large.

"We're hoping that this moves along. It's clear that this dog was intentionally killed in a very brutal manner," said Jennifer Brown, a senior program specialist with the Humane Society of the United States.

Brown said she recently reached out to Glasgow's office to inquire about the case but has not received a response. She was puzzled by the lack of action.

"I will say that this case is moving particularly slowly and I don't know why," Brown said.

Glasgow's spokesman, Charles B. Pelkie, said the dog's death was still being scrutinized.

"All I can say at this point is, the case is under investigation," Pelkie said. "We take these cases very seriously."

Darin, the man who dug up the dog, is biding his time while the investigation continues.

"This is a clear-cut case of multiple charges of animal cruelty," he said. "I can only hope that the cooperation and the consideration on a felony crime of this caliber will not be set aside by the authorities who have now taken this over."

To send a letter to State's Attorney James Glasgow:

The Honorable James Glasgow
Will County State's Attorney Office
14 W Jefferson St - Suite 200
Joliet, IL 60431
815-727-8453
Source: Herald-News - April 29, 2007
Update posted on Apr 29, 2007 - 1:30PM

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References

NBC 5 - March 20, 2007

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Dog thrown over fence, beaten to deathJoliet, IL (US)

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Dog thrown over fence, beaten to death
Joliet, IL (US)