Joliet man left pit bull named Buddy outside in freezing weather: cops

A Joliet man was arrested and jailed after officers discovered he left his pit bull outside in a doghouse with no food, water or any other items to stay warm, police said.

About 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 11, officers were sent to the 1200 block of Clark Street for a report of a brown-and-white pit bull named Buddy that had been left outside in the cold, according to a Joliet police news release.

When the officers arrived, they met with Billy Ray Wright, 59, the owner of Buddy, police said.

The officers determined that Buddy was outside in a doghouse with no food, water or other items to stay warm, police said.

At the time, the temperature was 19 degrees with a wind chill of 9 degrees.

“Wright refused to care for the dog,” police said.

An officer with Will County Animal Control arrived on scene and took custody of Buddy, police said.

“It was determined the dog’s chain was frozen to the ground and the dog appeared to be suffering from a serious skin infection near its neck,” police said.

On Thursday, the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office approved charges of cruel treatment of animals and violation of owner’s duties against Wright, police said.

A judge issued a warrant for Wright’s arrest.

Officers met with Wright at his home in the 1300 block of Clark Street, arrested him and took him to the Will County jail.

As of Friday morning, Wright remained in jail on a $75,000 bond.