Island Lake man gets jail time for keeping 46 cats in U-Haul van

An Island Lake man is serving a 40-day jail sentence after admitting guilt to an animal cruelty charge for housing 46 cats in a U-Haul van for months, records show.

Patryk Popek, 32, also was sentenced to one year of conditional discharge after pleading guilty to one count of animal cruelty, a class A misdemeanor, according to a judgment order filed in McHenry County court.

In February, Nicole Blotnicki, 32, of Glenview pleaded guilty to the same offense and received the same sentence, according to court documents. Blotnicki began serving her time Feb. 25, the same day she entered the guilty plea, and has since been released, court and jail records show.

The couple housed dozens of cats inside a Ford Transit U-Haul van for at least two months, charges alleged.

The animals were confined in a manner that placed them “in a life-threatening situation for a prolonged period of time and that resulted in such severe medical issues for twelve of the cats that caused a veterinarian to recommend euthanasia,” court documents state.

Criminal complaints also alleged the couple allowed the cats to live in conditions that were unsafe, unsanitary and “extreme.” Besides their health problems, there was inbreeding among the animals and they lacked veterinary care, court documents state.

The cats were seized by Island Lake police and placed with McHenry County Animal Control, records state.

Both defendants also were ordered to seek mental health evaluations. In exchange for their guilty pleas, charges of failing or violation of owners’ duties were dismissed, court orders state.