April 19--A Far South Side woman starved two puppies to death and forced other dogs to fight, prosecutors said Saturday.
Shantell Burnett, 24, was charged Saturday with felony aggravated cruelty to animals after police said they discovered dogs covered in filth and garbage at the home she shares with her sister in the 11700 block of South Morgan Street.
Police were called to Burnett's home about 3 p.m. Friday after a domestic disturbance involving Burnett, who had previously been arrested in a domestic incident involving her sister, police said.
Burnett said she was "just trying to grab her kids," but a cop smelled "a foul odor of feces," according to a police report. An officer opened a closet and saw a pit bull puppy covered in feces and urine, police said. The sister told authorities that there were more dogs downstairs.
"That is where (Burnett) fights the dogs," the sister said, according to the report.
Another dog was found in a back sunroom, police said, similarly covered in grime.
Two dogs in the basement "looked extremely skinny," police said.
The sister told police that Burnett had starved two dogs. One of the surviving animals had bite marks on its face, which Burnett told police was because the dogs got in a fight over food.
In a hearing before Cook County Judge Peggy Chiampas, Burnett was ordered released on her own recognizance.
