Orland man cited for animal cruelty

Worth police accuse him of keeping sheep tied in shop

By William Jones

When police responded to an alarmed triggered at a Worth auto shop last month they might have expected to find an open door, an employee working after hours or even a band of hooligans.

They likely did not think they would find livestock covered in excrement.

But when Worth police officers responded to an alarm at 7:09 p.m. Aug. 16 at Abe’s First Auto Repair, 6500 W. 111th, it was sheep they found — two of them, tied together by their hind legs. The shop was closed at the time, police said.

The shop’s owner, Senad Abdalla, 24, of Orland Park, was cited for storage of livestock and cruelty to animals, both violations of village ordinances, according to police. Worth police administra-tive secretary Dana McNeilly said Abdalla received the animal cruelty citation because the animals were bound, which prevented access to food or water.

Police said Abdalla told them he purchased the animals at an auction with the intent of taking them to a friend’s farm. He claimed he left the animals at the shop for an hour while he got dinner, police said. Police are unsure how long the animals had been left in the shop. McNeilly said police believe the animals may have triggered the alarm.

The sheep were taken to the Animal Welfare League in Chicago Ridge. The sheep are 9 to 10 months old and were underfed, according to Animal Welfare League president and director Linda Estrada. Abdalla told Animal Welfare employees he had planned to butcher the sheep for meat, Estrada said.

“Just because we eat meat doesn’t mean they [animals] lose their dignity,” Estrada said.

The sheep were tied together and covered in their own feces and urine, Estrada said. The animals also had a green nasal discharged commonly referred to as “shipping fever,” Estrada said. The animals were cleaned and sent to a physician who will continue to care for the animals, she said.

The animals did not suffer any permanent damage, she added.

Abdalla is scheduled to appear for a hearing Oct. 2 at the Cook County 5th Municipal District Courthouse in Bridgeview.

This is part of the September 11, 2008 online edition of The Reporter.

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