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Pair charged with animal cruelty agree to give up remaining pets

A former Naperville woman charged with animal abuse and cruelty agreed Friday to give up one of the dogs she is alleged to have abused, as well as a cat and two kittens someone gave her this spring.

DuPage County prosecutors had asked a judge to order her to do so in a 17-page motion that revealed more details of how they believe Sarah Gorski and Andre Norris mistreated three dogs, two of which died.

Norris agreed to the animal forfeiture June 1. The two live together now in Hanover Park.

Each initially was charged with four counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, two counts of improper disposal of an animal carcass and two counts of forgery. They turned themselves in May 4.

As a condition of their bond, they were required to give up their remaining pets. Gorski turned over the surviving dog, the cat and the kittens May 5 to Naperville authorities.

On May 28, both were indicted on two more forgery counts and 17 more aggravated cruelty counts.

The forfeited animals can now be adopted by other people.

According to the forfeiture motion, the body of a German shepherd named Melodias, also called Otis, was found wrapped in a sheet in a storage bin near a drainage ditch near some woods March 2. Naperville police and animal-control officers determined who its owners were.

When they canvassed the defendants' neighborhood, they talked to a neighbor, who started crying after being shown pictures of that dog and of another German shepherd, Scooby, "because she knew that police would at some point be coming to ask about how the defendants treated the dogs," the motion says. The woman told police the defendants would drag the dogs, instead of walking them.

Necropsies done at the University of Illinois veterinary school revealed Melodias died as a result of parvovirus, starvation and rat poison. The motion stated that dogs' bone marrow normally contain 59% fat; Melodias had 0.9%.

When executing a search warrant May 12, authorities found Scooby, a German shepherd/hound dog, in a rusted crate containing blood, urine and feces, the motion says. Scooby weighted 20 pounds, could not walk, had massive sores and had feces in his fur. It took a week of emergency care before Scooby could walk.

When questioned by police, Norris told them where to find Bubba, a Pembroke Welsh corgi, that died in March. Bubba was found wrapped in a sheet in a field, authorities said. A necropsy showed Bubba weighed 4½ pounds and died of starvation. The breed normally weighs 27 to 30 pounds, according to the American Kennel Club.

According to the motion, Norris told police he was a "cat person," and Gorski was responsible for the dogs. Gorski told police Norris was responsible for feeding the dogs.

Police noted that Melodias had come with a certificate for a free parvovirus immunization but never received one.

Both Gorski and Norris told police that they could not afford to get veterinary care. Norris also said they didn't go to a vet for fear they would be criticized, authorities said.

The motion stated that the couple owned several large-screen TVs, had recently bought a car, and were spending up to $300 a week on marijuana.

"Honestly, I probably don't deserve him (Scooby) and deserve every ounce of bad karma coming my way," Norris told police, according to the motion.

Two charged after dogs die in 'disturbing' starvation case

Andre Norris
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