Nearly 70 dogs rescued from alleged puppy mill

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updated 5:45 p.m. ET March 24, 2009

CHICAGO - Authorities have removed as many as 70 puppies from a home on Chicago's South Side, where police say some animals were stuffed into bird cages and living without food and water.

Agents with the Cook County Sheriff's Police and the U.S. Department of Agriculture raided the alleged puppy mill on Tuesday after undercover visits in the past weeks.

One person is in custody and faces animal cruelty charges.

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Sheriff's police spokesman Steve Patterson says some of the dogs were too big for their cages. Other puppies were found in closets.

Authorities say syringes and antibiotics were found at the scene, which an owner allegedly used to treat the animals.

Officers also went through the trash because of reports of dog bodies being thrown into the garbage.

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