Neglect charges against man, 25, after puppy abandoned in cage in North Aurora

A 25-year-old man has been charged with misdemeanor animal neglect after police said he left a Rottweiler puppy in a cage after he moved out of a rental home in North Aurora in late 2019.

Santos Chavez, now living in Aurora, faces a charge of failure to provide necessary care for the dog, which has since been adopted. Chavez is due in court Feb. 13.

North Aurora Deputy Police Chief Scott Buziecki said Friday that police began investigating Nov. 1 after the male puppy named Hercules was found in a cage in the garage of a rental home on the 1000 block of Kilbery Lane.

The dog was in the cage long enough to urinate and defecate on himself. The dog's owner moved out the previous day but had returned to pick up the rental truck still parked outside of the Kilbery Lane house, Buziecki said.

Chavez agreed to give up the dog to a local rescue group. After an investigation that included interviewing neighbors and the veterinarian who treated the dog, police filed charges Friday.

"We understand that Hercules was adopted and doing quite well now," Buziecki wrote in an email.

If convicted, Chavez faces a sentence ranging from probation to up to 180 days in jail and a $1,500 fine.