EAST PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) – The head of the Fon Du Lac Park Police said the six dogs recovered from a disabled boat last week are doing fine and should recover.
Police Chief Chance Barlow said the dogs are “fighters” and with the care given by Peoria County Animal Protection Shelter, they should recover. He said he hopes that people will use the events to look out for animals in the area.
“If you see something, call 911. They can’t communicate,” he said Tuesday, less than 24 hours after his office turned over information to the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s office for possible charges against the owner of the boat.
On July 5, officers with his department which is the primary law enforcement agency on the Illinois River were called to check on the animals which were in kennels in the 32-foot cabin cruiser. The four people who lived on the boat were gone.
The dogs, Barlow said last week, were “emaciated” and in poor health.
Since then, his office has talked to all four people who lived there. They were passing through the area when one of the boat’s motors broke down. The other motor was already broken. The cruiser had been docked near the RiverPlex for at least two weeks before it was found. One of the dogs on the boat was found dead.
Barlow said the four people had found some of the dogs in the area and had previously owned others. They were trying to take care of them but got overwhelmed.
Whether any criminal charges would come out of this, Barlow said that was up to prosecutors. For now, he said, the focus should be on the dogs and making sure they get the best care possible.
A call to the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s office was not immediately returned.
Barlow also said it was important to note the interagency cooperation that is often found in Central Illinois. Agencies like the Tazewell County dispatchers, East Peoria Police Department and the park district administrative staff worked long hours to process the reports.
This story will be updated with more details later.