A woman was charged with animal cruelty after police said they found 52 dogs living inside her Wauconda home.
Carol Reith of the 200 block of Sky Hill Road was cited Wednesday after police and animal control authorities found the dogs living in overcrowded and unsanitary conditions without air conditioning and with evidence of inbreeding, Wauconda police said.
Police responded to the residence after receiving reports of suspected animal cruelty. An officer made contact with Reith, who said she only had four dogs, police said.
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An officer who was granted limited entry to the residence had to leave because of the overwhelming odors of urine and bleach, police said.
The house was deemed uninhabitable by health officials.
Police said Reith signed consent forms to turn over the animals. During the removal process, one person was bitten by a dog and required medical attention.
The dogs were brought to Reach Rescue, Wags 2 Wishes Animal Rescue, Waukegan Police Animal Control and Lake County Animal Care and Control. Reith has a July 24 court date.