Iowa Men Charged After 43 Puppies Found In Parked Vehicle

CHICAGO (STMW) -- Two Iowa men were charged with animal cruelty after Chicago Police found 43 puppies in a parked vehicle Tuesday in the West Side Lawndale neighborhood.

Ogden District police officers and the police Gang Investigations Division observed a suspicious vehicle parked in the 2500 block of West Cermak Road about 7 a.m., police said.

An officer heard loud barking coming from the rear of the vehicle and discovered 43 animals in cramped containers, without adequate food or water, police said.

Travis Wester, 22, and Larry Subject, 49, both of Iowa, were arrested and each charged with one misdemeanor count of failing to meet animal owner duties and 43 misdemeanor counts of cruelty to animals.

Wester and Subject are scheduled to appear Wednesday for a bond hearing.

The puppies were placed with Animal Care and Control pending further investigation.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2012. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)