James Wesolaski, 51, pled guilty today to one count of Animal Torture at a court appearance this morning at the Cook County Criminal Courts Building in Skokie. According to prosecutors, the incident occurred June 7 after neighbors of Wesolaski contacted police after witnessing him striking the dog repeatedly outside of his Des Plaines home.
Des Plaines police responded and confronted Wesolaski who admitted that he had struck the animal several times after he became angry when the dog bit him and escaped from his home. The dog, a Lhasa Apso named Teddy, was brought to a veterinarian for treatment after sustaining injuries consistent with having been choked.
Cook County Circuit Court Judge Lauren Edidin issued the sentence today and also entered an order prohibiting Wesolaski from owning animals for 20 years.
In court, Cook County prosecutors reported that Teddy had made a full recovery from his injuries and that he and Wesolaski's other two dogs have all been adopted into new homes.
