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Group asked to return 15 French bulldogs rescued from O'Hare warehouse

A Chicago-based animal rescue group has until Monday to give up 15 French bulldogs it saved from an O'Hare International Airport warehouse where they had been housed in crowded crates for four days without food and water.

After arriving in Chicago on Aug. 28, the puppies had been sitting in their own urine and feces in a corner of the warehouse until they were discovered by a truck driver, according to Chicago French Bulldog Rescue, which was called in Aug. 31.

There originally were 20 puppies, including 16 French bulldogs. One of the bulldogs died and the rest needed immediate veterinary care, according to the rescue group. The dogs have been in quarantine ever since and are being cared for at veterinary clinics in Chicago and the suburbs.

Now, lawyers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Jordanian Airlines have given the group until 9 a.m. Monday to return the dogs to the owner in Jordan. The dogs are scheduled to be flown there Monday afternoon.

"It's a federal order, so we have to comply," said Mary Scheffke, director of Chicago French Bulldog Rescue. "In the meantime, we are trying to stop that from happening."

A CDC spokesperson could not be reached for comment Friday.

Scheffke said the group has spent $45,000 so far to nurse the puppies back to health. She's wary of handing them over to possibly be warehoused again before a 13-hour flight to Jordan without guarantees about what will happen to them.

"They are very susceptible to heatstroke," Scheffke said. "There's about eight airlines that have banned flying this breed in cargo. Due to the pressurization, the temperature, a lot of them don't survive."

Scheffke said French bulldogs are among the top breeds in demand and often trafficked illegally. Two years ago, the group rescued 27 French bulldogs being illegally imported from Ukraine, went to court to gain custody and won because the owners lived in the United States.

"A lot of famous people have them," she said. "To get them from a good breeder, you are looking at anywhere from $6,000 to $10,000 for a puppy. It costs an importer about $100 to fly each dog. It's a very profitable business."

The CDC, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection all have jurisdiction and regulations for transporting animals in and out of the country.

"It is those agencies' responsibility to be there when that plane lands to make sure all the paperwork is in order," Scheffke said. "The paperwork from the Jordanian seller was not in order. Nobody can explain then why weren't (the puppies) shipped back right away."

Chicago French Bulldog Rescue says federal authorities are demanding it return 15 French bulldogs that were rescued from an O'Hare International Airport warehouse, where they had been housed for four days in crates sitting in their own urine and feces. The dogs are recovering at veterinary clinics in Chicago and suburbs. Courtesy of Chicago French Bulldog Rescue
Chicago French Bulldog Rescue says federal authorities are demanding it return 15 French bulldogs that were rescued from an O'Hare International Airport warehouse. The dogs are recovering at veterinary clinics in Chicago and suburbs. Courtesy of Chicago French Bulldog Rescue
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