Dog-beating case draws protesters

“Justice for the Slain and Beaten Dogs” read the signs of pickets outside the Kane County Judicial Center Wednesday morning.

They were making sure attention is paid to the animal cruelty case of Aurora resident Phillip Rinn.

Rinn, 41, was in court on charges of felony animal cruelty and aggravated animal cruelty. His case was continued until 2 p.m. Jan. 19.

On that date, Judge James Hallock will consider whether to make Rinn forfeit ownership of the dog he is accused of abusing, and whether to order Rinn to pay for the cost of care for the dog, which now lives at the Kane County Animal Control shelter. The prosecutor filed motions for both Wednesday.

That bill stands at more than $2,600 as of Wednesday, the prosecutor said, including $1,058 spent on dental work. Rinn is accused of hitting Magda, a 1-year-old Labrador retriever-German shepherd mix, so hard he broke five of the dog's teeth.

Kane County sheriff's deputies arrested Rinn on misdemeanor animal cruelty charges Nov. 15. A grand jury upgraded the charges to felonies Dec. 1. Rinn is free on $100 bond.

This is the second time Rinn has been charged in Kane County with being cruel to animals. In 1993, he was found guilty of a misdemeanor charge. He chained a dog to the bumper of his car and dragged it, then detached it and ran over the dog, killing it. He served 30 days in the county jail and was sentenced to 200 hours of community service.

Rinn has been put on the “Animal Voices of Hope Blacklist” on Facebook, and his case is the subject of an online petition at change.org.

“It's huge,” said a woman named Janet, who was the judicial center and who is affiliated with On Angels' Wings animal shelter of Crystal Lake. The woman refused to give her full because she said she feared for her safety.