17 dogs caged in warehouse without food or water, one dead after flight to Chicago

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    Chicago, IL (WBBM) — A dog is dead following a flight to Chicago, and police say it and 17 others were found caged without food or water. The dogs were coming from Jordan when paperwork delayed their release. This comes after a similar situation just weeks ago.

Staci Yates paid thousands to buy a dog from an overseas breeder, but she calls the federal government the real dog in all of this.

“Something needs to be done,” she said. “This is ridiculous. These animals don’t deserve that.”

Fin, a black lab, just turned one year old. He was bred in Russia, and due to COVID-19, he took longer than expected to get to his Alabama home. The delay he and other dogs went through as they stopped at O’Hare International Airport on Aug. 9 was a shock to Yates. She said the black lab was in a kennel, barely able to move for two days., including one day in a Chicago cargo hold, in governmental limbo.

“He was laying in his own feces, and had obviously been in it for quite some time,” she said.

Chicago Police described a similar situation this past weekend, when they rescued 17 dogs caged without food or water, and found another dog dead. Police said they arrived from Amman, Jordan, on Friday, and were left in a warehouse without proper care until police were tipped off on Monday. Animal control took possession of two dogs that survived, and another agency is caring for the other 15.

The cargo company said the dogs did not have the proper vaccination documents required for international shipping.

Yates said it was the same situation with her dog weeks ago.

“We were never given an explanation,” she said. “Nobody called. Nobody said this is what happened. All of a sudden they were just released.”

Yates said she believes the CDC should be held responsible.

“They’re the ones that held everything up,” she said.

An airline cargo handling service was issued two citations, one for cruelty to animals and one for neglect.

The company denied the allegations, showing CBS 2 receipts for emergency pet supplies such as food.

The CDC did not respond to requests for comment.

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