They knocked on the door with a warrant for guns. What they found behind it stopped everyone cold.
On Thursday, October 22, 2026, Lemont police officers arrived at a home on the 800 block of McCarthy Road in Lemont, Illinois — about 30 miles southwest of Chicago — to execute a search warrant tied to a Firearms Restraining Order. They expected weapons. They did not expect what was living inside.
Roughly 76 dogs were found “living inside the residence and garage,” in conditions police described as “deplorable.”
What Officers Found Inside
The removal operation took upwards of nine hours, according to Lemont Police Chief Jason LoCoco — a full working day just to get every dog out of the house safely.
Photos shared with NBC Chicago by local rescue group Ruby Whiskers show floors and walls caked in dirt and debris, with filthy plastic bins that appeared to be serving as makeshift dog beds. Ruby Whiskers owner Kim Arius, who was on scene, said the stench was so overpowering that her eyes and throat were burning.
It wasn’t just one agency, either. Lemont police were joined by Cook County Animal Control, the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Animal Cruelty Unit, and other local animal-control departments. The Lemont Fire Protection District was called in to assess hazmat concerns — a measure of just how bad conditions had become inside the home.
The house has since been condemned.
The Arrest: Animal Cruelty and Weapons Charges
The homeowner, 58-year-old Andrew Malak, was arrested at the scene. He is facing several counts of animal cruelty as well as felony weapons charges, and police recovered three firearms from the home.
It is important to be clear about where this stands: these are charges and allegations. Malak has not been convicted of anything, and he is entitled to the same fair legal process as anyone else. The animal cruelty case will play out in court — and for the dogs caught in the middle of it, the legal process is only the beginning of a much longer road.
Where the 76 Dogs Are Right Now
Getting 76 dogs out of one house is only step one. Finding somewhere for all of them to go was the next crisis.
Thirty-three of the dogs went to Anti-Cruelty Chicago late on Friday, October 23 — ranging from eight-week-old puppies to full-grown adults. Many of them, the shelter said, had limited human contact before the rescue. Ruby Whiskers took in three more, including one dog the rescue believes is pregnant. Many Paws Global Rescue also stepped in to help.
Four dogs had nowhere to go that night at all. With shelters out of space, police held those final four overnight themselves.
Think about that for a moment. The rescue was so large that even after every available shelter bed was filled, dogs were still being held in a police station because there was simply nowhere else.
Why You Can’t Adopt Them Yet
Here is the part that surprises most people: despite the headlines, not a single one of these 76 dogs is available for adoption right now.
As of October 24, Anti-Cruelty Chicago said it could not give any adoption timetable. Before any dog can even be considered for a home, each one needs a full veterinary evaluation, medical treatment, and — just as importantly — patient behavioral rehabilitation. Many of these dogs had barely known human contact. You can’t rush that.
A follow-up report on October 26 confirmed the dogs were still in assessment and rehabilitation, with no timeline in sight. Rescue work doesn’t end when the cameras leave. The hard, quiet part — the vet visits, the trust-building, the slow work of teaching a frightened dog that people can be safe — is happening right now, out of the spotlight.
What the Owner Says
Malak rejects the neglect framing entirely. Speaking to FOX 32, he said his animals were connected to “Braydens Battle Foundation,” which he described as a nonprofit for abandoned and surrendered pregnant animals.
“I open feed, I open water, they’re taken care of,” he said.
Those claims now sit alongside the police account of deplorable conditions, the condemned house, and the criminal charges — and it will be up to the courts, not the headlines, to sort out where the truth lands. Both sides of the story deserve to be heard before anyone decides.
What Comes Next for the 76
So what happens now? The dogs stay in shelter care while veterinarians work through medical evaluations one dog at a time. Behavioral teams begin the slow process of rehabilitation. Only when a dog is medically cleared and emotionally ready does the adoption conversation even begin — and for 76 dogs, that is a pipeline measured in months, not days.
The story that started with a gun warrant is now a waiting game: 76 individual recoveries, each on its own timeline.
If you’ve ever wondered what “rescue” really looks like after the dramatic headlines fade — this is it. Not a single triumphant moment, but dozens of quiet ones: a first vet check, a first gentle touch, a first night sleeping somewhere clean.
We’ll keep following what happens to the 76. Because getting them out was the easy part. Getting them home is the real story.
