$30K bond for man charged with running South Side dog-fighting ring

A 43-year-old man charged with running a dog-fighting operation out of his South Side Fuller Park home was ordered held on a $30,000 bond Saturday.

Clifford McNeil, of the 4700 block of South Shields, faces eight felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, two felony counts of dog fighting and a litany of misdemeanor violations, according to Chicago Police.

At 10 a.m. Friday, officers executed a search warrant to enter the yard and garage of a home on the 4800 block of South Shields where they found “gaunt canines along with various paraphernalia used for the purposes of dog-fighting and training,” police said.

Officers found 16 dogs – seven adults and nine puppies – drugs and ammunition, the statement said. The dogs had heavy chains around their necks and no access to food or water, according to a police report.

Cook County Judge Laura Sullivan set McNeil’s bond at $30,000. He is due back in court Friday.