West Suburban Bureau

Prosecutor: Getting Puppy High Is Animal Abuse

WHEATON, Ill. (Naperville Sun) ― The man who stole a puppy from a west suburban pet store wasn't charged with cruelty to animals, but prosecutors say he should have been.

After dashing out of the Petland store in Naperville on March 21 with a 2-pound purebred Pomeranian puppy worth $1,500, Emanual Lopez and his friends drove around "blowing the smoke of cannabis into the face of the dog until it passed out," Dect. Richard Arsenault testified in court Wednesday.

The sable-colored pup was returned to the store three days later in good health, and has since been adopted by a Naperville family.

In May, Lopez, 19, of Plainfield, pleaded guilty to felony retail theft for his role in the puppy-napping.

Police say Lopez agreed to steal the puppy and sell it for $60 to Karlie A. Pellock and Anais M. Marquez, both 19 of Plainfield. All three were one-time employees of the Petland at 720 S. Rt. 59.

Pellock has pleaded guilty to misdemeanor retail theft, for which she was given one year court supervision and ordered to complete 50 hours community service.

Marquez is due in DuPage County Circuit Court later this month.

While Lopez may have been enticed to steal the dog, "there is no excuse for what he did to that puppy," Asst. State's Attorney Mary Cronin said Wednesday, asking for a 60-day jail sentence followed by two years felony probation.

Abusing alcohol and marijuana since he was 15, Lopez would best be served in probation with drug counseling, public defender Ricky Holman argued.

But Circuit Court Judge John Kinsella didn't agree. He concurred with the prosecution's sentence and said those who abuse animals are "the bottom ring of humanity."

"Anyone who abuses an animal for their own amusement has a problem," Kinsella said.

"You have to decide today if ... drugs are going to be a part of your life. If you sit around getting high and smoke pot all day do you know what you'll get accomplished -- nothing."

Lopez has been arrested two times prior to this felony, for thefts in Naperville and Plainfield. Kinsella warned the teen to stay out of trouble or face the judge a second time.

"You're 19 years of age and you've been arrested three times in the past year for theft," Kinsella said. "That tells me you're a thief and we lock them up."

(CBS 2, the Naperville Sun and the Aurora Beacon-News are news partners covering stories in the western suburbs. Send story tips to tips@cbs2chicago.com. (© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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