more officials caught with neglect

Why is it always pit bulls that are targeted by those who don't care and have no respect for life.  These dogs deserved much better

Complaints lead to death, decay

Investigators find sick, dead dogs at home of former Stateville official

MICHAEL R. SCHMIDT/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The decaying remains of an animal, which state investigators believe is a pit bull, lie Tuesday afternoon beneath a garbage can in the back yard of a home in Crest Hill.

By Joe Hosey

staff writer

CREST HILL — State investigators found two dead dogs — the charred remains of one crawling with maggots — and five ailing pit bulls in a filthy pen outside the home of a former Stateville official's home.

The official, Robert Griffin, was not home when the two investigators, a state trooper and Joliet Township Animal Control officers canvassed his home Tuesday outside the Stateville prison walls on Illinois 53.

A Stateville employee for nearly 23 years, Griffin became the assistant warden of programs at Pontiac Correctional Center in April 2005, said Derek Schnapp, a spokesman for the Department of Corrections. He still lives on the Stateville grounds and commutes to his job at the Pontiac prison.

A state animal investigator, Bob Darrin, said he received a complaint about animal abuse on the property. Township animal control also received a citizen complaint that was routed through county animal control, said animal control Director Andy Ivanicky.

Animal control alerted state police. A trooper arrived to take a report on the matter. State police said Tuesday evening that they still did not know who resides at the house.

Five living but debilitated pit bulls were recovered from a chain link pen that stank of feces. A pail in the pen was filled with muddy brown water.

An animal control officer took custody of the living dogs. They were to be checked by a veterinarian before they would be transported and impounded at a facility to be determined, Ivanicky said.

Animal control officers also lifted an upside-down trash and found burned, maggot-infested remains of another pit bull. A dog could be heard barking inside Griffin's house.

Reached on his cell phone, Griffin said he was trying to "place" 10 puppies recently spawned by his female pit bull.

"I'm a very responsible dog owner," Griffin said. "I just happened to have 10 puppies at the same time."

Griffin explained that the puppies turned on each other.

"They were challenging each other, fighting and one puppy got killed," Griffin said.

He denied any knowledge of the rotting, maggoty dog carcass and theorized it may be the remains of a coyote killed by his dogs. He was not sure how the dead animal got beneath a garbage can.

"The reason I have those dogs, that field out there is full of coyotes," he said.

Griffin said he feeds the dogs twice a day and that they have clean water. He said the dogs had fouled the water seen Tuesday.

"They play in it," he said. "They're dogs."

- Contact Joe Hosey at (815) 729-6054 or e-mail him at jhosey@scn1.com.

08/02/06