DEA Makes Surprise Visit At Animal Welfare League

CHICAGO RIDGE, IL -- Authorities from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration the Illinois Department of Finance and Professional Regulation made an unannounced visit to the embattled Animal Welfare League in Chicago Ridge. The shelter has been under scrutiny since dozens of animal advocates and rescue groups, many of them former volunteers who’ve been banned for speaking out, have provided photographs and videos of dogs and cats in horrifying conditions as well as medical and necropsy reports.

An AWL staff member told Patch a “large group of people” came to facility at 10300 Southwest Highway in Chicago Ridge late Tuesday morning. Federal and state authorities were interviewing shelter director Linda Estrada and her staff. Authorities were also examining the shelter’s euthanasia paperwork and medical records, and took photographs of the shelter’s drug logs. Both the DEA and IDFPR said they could “neither confirm or deny” the investigations.

When asked if the DEA and IDFPR were at the shelter, AWL spokeswoman Nicole McNair said they had no comment. Calls to Animal Welfare League’s attorney were not returned.

Also, this past weekend $17,000 worth of Heartgard, an anti-worm medication for dogs, turned up missing from the shelter. Chicago Ridge trustee Ed Kowalski confirmed police are investigating the theft. The Village of Chicago Ridge ordered the shelter to remove a pigeon coop that was being kept in an area where dogs were penned due to pigeon feces.

The animal shelter is an open intake facility and takes in cats, dogs, wildlife and other species brought in as strays or surrendered by owners, and facilitates pet adoptions. Animal Welfare League has stopped accepting strays and owner surrenders, and has put all pet adoptions on hold since Jan. 20, claiming the shelter was hit by a dog flu outbreak.

Animal Welfare League distributed a written statement to the media, confirming the DEA and IDFPR visits, stating “they went well.” The shelter also reiterated that it has passed all inspections from the Illinois Department of Agriculture and “all oversight bodies.”

Advocates were out again Tuesday evening holding a vigil for the animals lost and the animals left inside the shelter. Advocates continue to demand the resignations of Estrada and AWL board members.

Crystal Broccardo, a former employee at Animal Welfare League, resigned after Patch broke the story about dogs being overmedicated, euthanized and neglected amid unsanitary conditions. Broccardo said that after 21 years at the shelter as a volunteer and employee "Animal Welfare League stole my heart and soul."

“My biggest concern and strongest reason why I left was the shelter’s euthanasia policies,” Broccardo said. “There are none, it’s a pick one, choose one kind of game. Some were dogs that I spent time with, I spent energy with, dog tested, kid tested, temperament tested to the best of my abilities and they just disappeared.”

Advocates rally in front of Animal Welfare League

Photo by Patch Editor Lorraine Swanson