Animal cruelty charges against Wildwood woman

Riverwoods shelter takes animals

Orphans of the Storm in Riverwoods has two healthy pit bull terriers up for adoption, rescued from a woman now charged with animal cruelty.

Kristin Miks, of the 33000 block of N. Sunset Ave., Wildwood, is scheduled for arraignment in Lake County Circuit Court on April 11. She has been charged with two counts of animal cruelty, a Class A misdemeanor.

Neighbors of Miks complained of possible mistreatment of animals on her property, and in early March authorities entered the home and found three dogs, a mastiff, "near death," and the two pit bulls, said Orphans of the Storm Director Gail Donahue.

Orphans received the pit bulls on March 6, said Donahue. Donahue said she learned from a state animal abuse investigator that the dogs had been kept in the Miks' basement, "stuffed in a crate with no bottom, without food or water."

"They could hardly walk when they came out of the crate," said Donahue. "They were skin and bones. A judge should bar this woman from ever owning an animal again.

"But now they're fat and healthy and up for adoption," she added. Records at Orphans shows the pit bull terriers were adopted by the Miks family in 2004, said Donahue.

Officials did not have information on the fate of the mastiff also taken from the Miks home.

Cynthia Vargas, spokeswoman for the Lake County State's Attorney's Office, said the two misdemeanor counts against Miks carry penalties of up to a year in jail, and/or a $2,500 fine on each count.