Indiana city parks director resigns after dogfighting plea

WHITING, Ind. (AP) - A northwestern Indiana city's park director has resigned after pleading guilty to a federal misdemeanor that he helped an Illinois man involved in dogfighting.

Whiting Mayor Joseph Stahura issued a statement Sunday saying Martin Jakubowski had resigned. He says he received more than 300 complaints following Jakubowski's guilty plea Thursday and the mayor's initial decision to retain Jakubowski as parks director and only remove him from supervising the animal shelter.

Jakubowski admitted he assisted Pedro Cuellar, an Illinois man who recently pleaded guilty to a dogfighting conspiracy charge in New Jersey. The (Northwest Indiana) Times reports a court document states Jakubowski admitted giving Cuellar veterinary antibiotics, providing him two pit bull-type dogs and to housing dogs for him at city animal shelters for up to a year.

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Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com