Hoffman Estates woman pleads guilty to aggravated animal cruelty in dogs' deaths
A Hoffman Estates woman has admitted neglecting her dogs, including two that died of starvation.
Sarah Gorski, 21, of the 1700 block of Queensbury Circle, pleaded guilty Tuesday to three counts of animal cruelty. She was facing charges for her treatment of three dogs - Melodias and Bubba, who died, and Scooby, who survived.
On March 2, 2020, someone called Naperville police to report finding a dead dog near a recreation trail.
The body of Melodias, a German shepherd, was found wrapped in a sheet and inside a storage container. He weighed about 20 pounds - roughly 50 pounds less than a healthy German shepherd should weigh.
A necropsy found that Melodias died of canine parvovirus, starvation, and ingestion of rat poison.
During their investigation, police found Bubba, a Pembroke Corgi, in a field. His body had been wrapped in a sheet. Bubba died of severe starvation.
They also discovered Scooby, a German shepherd/hound mix, in a rusted crate in the home of Gorski and her boyfriend, Andre P. Norris. The crate had animal feces, blood, and urine, authorities said. Scooby weighed about 20 pounds; had sores, including one nearly down to the bone; and could not walk. Scooby recovered after treatment.
When Gorski and Norris got Melodias, the dog came with a certificate for a free parvovirus immunization but never received one. The two told police they could not afford veterinary care.
But according to authorities, the couple owned several large-screen TVs, had recently bought a car, and were spending up to $300 a week on marijuana.
Norris pleaded guilty in November 2021 to three counts of aggravated animal cruelty in exchange for a three-year prison sentence.
DuPage County Judge Michael Reidy is expected to sentence Gorski on April 21.