Couple Arrested After Dead Dogs, Cats Found At Fox Lake Home

Warning: The following news contains graphic details from a recent animal cruelty investigation.

FOX LAKE, IL — The Lake County Sheriff's office announced in a news release Wednesday that one of their deputies discovered the decomposing bodies of several dogs and cats inside a Fox Lake home in January while enforcing a court-ordered eviction.

According to the sheriff's office, the deputy went to the home in the 0-100 block of Hilltop Avenue on Jan. 6, where 33-year-old Cathryn N. Franke — who now lives in the 8900 block of David Place in Des Plaines — tried slamming the door on the deputy. The deputy went inside the home and was overcome by a strong foul odor, the sheriff's office said.

According to the news release, the deputy found another person who lived at the home, 38-year-old Thomas J. Gilhooly, who now also lives at the above Des Plaines address. The deputy told Gilhooly he needed to leave the home, and he did so with Franke.

The deputy continued walking through the animal urine and feces-covered home, and found five dead, decomposing dogs and two dead, decomposing cats, the news release said.

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Fox Lake Police were called to the home, and along with village authorities worked together to continue the investigation into Franke and Gilhooly, the sheriff's office said.

Following their investigation, the Fox Lake Police Department got an arrest warrant on March 16 for Franke and Gilhooly for seven counts of a felony aggravated cruelty to animals, according to the sheriff's office.

Once the warrant was issued, the Lake County Sheriff’s Warrants Team began an apprehension investigation, and on Tuesday found Gilhooly and Franke living at the Des Plaines home, according to the news release. Both were arrested taken to the Lake County Jail where they're being held on $100,000 bond. They're both scheduled to be back in court Friday.

Patch will continue updating this story as more information becomes available.