Huntley man pleads guilty to animal cruelty after 54 abandoned dogs found in park

A Huntley man has been sentenced to one year of conditional discharge in a plea deal after he was accused of cruelty to dozens of animals, including a turtle, 17 cats and a dog.

Bruce J. Walla, 55, of Huntley entered a guilty plea Friday before Judge Christopher Harmon to one count of animal cruelty, a Class A misdemeanor. In exchange for the plea, 18 counts of animal cruelty and 19 counts of violating an animal owner’s duties were dropped. Walla also is ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution costs to McHenry County Animal Control, according to McHenry County court documents.

Walla was charged along with Concepcion Rodriguez, 61, of Huntley, who faces 19 counts of animal cruelty and 19 counts of violating an animal owner’s duties. Rodriguez also was charged with another 54 counts of animal cruelty by the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, Huntley authorities said.

The McHenry County complaint lists a dog, a turtle and 17 cats found in the home that were suffering from declining health because of “poor living conditions.” The dog suffered from “skin infections and severe discharge to both eyes,” and many of the cats were reported to have “nasal discharge and urine-stained fur,” according to the complaint.

The charges stem from July 15, when the Boone County sheriff and animal services were called to Hammertime Unleashed Dog Park in Belvidere for a report of “several dogs that had been abandoned,” according to a Huntley Police Department news release issued at the time. Animal services captured 54 dogs identified as Maltese mixes, and all were turned over to multiple rescue organizations for treatment and fostering services, according to the release.

An investigation identified Rodriguez and Walla as suspects, and Huntley police and McHenry County Animal Control joined the investigation, according to the release.

Officers and animal control officials conducted a search warrant July 25 on the pair’s Huntley home, which revealed probable cause for animal cruelty and violations of county public health laws, police said. The home also was deemed uninhabitable.

The animals that authorities said were found in Rodriguez and Walla’s home were turned over to McHenry County Animal Control and were “receiving the medical care they need,” according to the release. The pair was booked and released from the Huntley Police Department in September.

Rodriguez’s cases still are pending. She is scheduled to appear in McHenry County court Feb. 19 and Boone County court March 18, according to court records. She has pleaded not guilty on all counts.