Vet and Employee Hit With Felony Animal Cruelty Charges at Dolton Animal Hospital

Caption: Dr. Amardeep Sangha, 54, of Naperville, was charged with felony animal cruelty after dead dogs and live dogs in poor condition were discovered at the Dolton Animal Hospital in September. Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart at a press conference following the vet’s arrest in front of the Animal Welfare League in Chicago Ridge.

The Naperville veterinarian at the center of an ongoing animal cruelty investigation was booked on felony aggravated cruelty charges in Cook County’s Markham Courthouse on Monday.

Dr. Amardeep Sangha, 54, was originally arrested for multiple misdemeanors in September when a police officer dropping off a stray dog discovered a basement full of dead and live dogs covered with maggots and lying in urine-soaked, feces-caked cages, the charges allege.

Sangha and another worker at Dolton Animal Hospital, Sharon Cargile, 59, of Chicago, were each charged with five counts of misdemeanor cruelty to animals and eight misdemeanor counts of violations of owner’s duties after the shocking discovery.

Both were indicted by a Cook County grand jury last month where they were each charged with three counts of felony aggravated cruelty to animals.

The Naperville veterinarian appeared in court on Monday, where he was released on his own recognizance.

A sheriff’s news advisory said that Cargile was a no-show in court and a warrant has been issued for her arrest.

The Cook County Animal Crimes Unit launched its probe on Sept. 21, after a Dolton police officer dropping off a stray dog at the facility notified the sheriff’s office when he observed what appeared to be dead dogs and other animals in poor condition.

The village had a contract with the facility at 15022 Lincoln Ave. to house stray animals, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart said following the pair’s arrest.

Sheriff’s investigators found four dogs dead in their cages. Necropsies determined that three of the dogs had died of non-accidental chronic starvation. The fourth dog’s death was ruled inconclusive, a sheriff’s news advisory said.

A cat was also found in poor condition.

The nine live dogs were brought to the Animal Welfare League in Chicago Ridge for medical treatment and eventually adopted. All were malnourished and anemic, Sheriff Tom Dart said.

A female Staffordshire-mix had her breasts removed which were full of milk and ruptured when her puppies were taken away too soon. Another emaciated shepherd-terrier mix was unable to walk due to a sepsis infection, an Animal Welfare League representative said.

Dart has since called for legislation by the Cook County Board of Commissioners to adopt ordinances regulating facilities that accept stray pets from municipalities.

The Dolton Animal Hospital’s website still lists Sangha as being involved with the facility. Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation records indicate that Sangha has been licensed with the state as a vet since 1990. His current license is due to expire in December 2015.