The judge set bail at $7,500 for Amanda Wise, accused of abusing the animals. Authorities said the 29-year-old is guilty of abusing eight dogs, but her public defender said that is not the case.
He said she is innocent because she is not responsible for caring for the dogs and that the dogs do not belong to her.
The single parent of one child was arrested Wednesday morning after Cook County sheriff deputies received a tip about animal abuse at a home near 154th and East End.
Police arrived to find eight dogs, four male and four female pit bull mixes. Authorities said one female was emaciated and that five of the dogs were shackled with heavy chains and that the others were in wooden crates.
Wise's public defender said she is a home health care worker who is caring for the homeowner and never should have been arrested for the crime.
"Knowing the information developed by our office, it wasn't Miss Wise who was the person who was the owner of the dogs," said attorney Steve Tyson. "We believe that going forward the evidence will show that she's not the owner, just the person that was present there taking care of the person who owned the dogs."
Authorities also say that there is no indication of any dog fighting going on at the location.
Wise has also been charged with giving a false identification to officers when they first approached her. She also has to appear in another court because there was a traffic warrant out for her after apparently driving with a suspended license.
