Rocko And Mama Neglected By Their Joliet Dog Owner: Complaint

JOLIET ? The Will County Courthouse files continue to grow as more Joliet dog owners are being charged with crimes of animal cruelty. The latest person charged is 46-year-old Sugar Ray Jackson, the owner of two pit bulls, a male dog named Rocko, and a female dog named Mama, court files show.

A warrant was issued Wednesday for Jackson's arrest by Will County Judge James Harvey.

Jackson is charged with two counts of animal cruelty and five counts of violation of pet owner's duties. The warrant indicated that Jackson can be released on his own recognizance. In other words, he won't be kept in the Will County Jail, court files reflect.

The Will County State's Attorney's Office also filed a civil forfeiture to take Rocko and Mama away from Jackson, the criminal defendant from Joliet Township who now faces seven charges.

According to the forfeiture documents, Joliet Township Animal Control responded to Jackson's place on Patterson Road for two dogs on the property without proper shelter from the cold weather on Jan. 20. Animal Control determined there were two dogs on the property, one male and one female pit bull. The outside temperature was 8 degrees, and the wind chill made it feel minus 2 degrees with an overnight prediction of minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit.

"The female was inside a trailer with no electricity or generator," the animal forfeiture document noted.

Joliet Township Animal Control spoke with Jackson and he confirmed he owned both dogs. The two pit bulls were later taken to the Animal Medical Center in Plainfield and the female weighed 55 pounds with an internal temperature of 96.7 degrees and male weighed 52 pounds and had an internal temperature of 98.5 degrees, "which are both in the realm of hypothermia for a dog," court documents note. "The doctor described both dogs as being malnourished and have poor confirmation, possibly due to their care."