On Sunday, May 25, 2025, at a steer tailing event in Rochelle, Illinois, brutal abuse left multiple animals severely injured, and no one has been held accountable.
At least five steers had their tails ripped completely off in a gruesome injury known as degloving. One steer’s leg was broken, and another was left lame. Yet, not a single animal received veterinary care or pain relief, a direct violation of Illinois animal cruelty laws.
Animal advocates say their calls for help were ignored. Dozens of people contacted the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office throughout the day, but instead of action, they were hung up on or redirected to a recorded message insisting all complaints of abuse must be made in person.
“We wonder if we were reporting crimes against humans, if we would get the same ridiculous runaround,” said Jodie Wiederkehr, Campaigns Director for Showing Animals Respect & Kindness (SHARK), while expressing outrage.
Video evidence from the event shows animals dazed, injured, and overworked. One steer, clearly disoriented and struggling to walk, was forced back into the chute, only to be chased, have his tail violently yanked, and be slammed to the ground again. Overworking animals is also a crime under Illinois law. But again, no intervention.
Disturbingly, this was not an isolated incident. Just over a month earlier, on April 19, SHARK reported to the same sheriff’s office that one horse and two steers had their legs broken at the very same location. Despite repeated calls to shut down the operation and charge those responsible, SHARK was told that Animal Control was handling it.
“While Animal Control was supposedly handling the brutality, three more steers had their tails ripped off their bodies, two more were lamed, and multiple animals suffered head injuries, bloody horns, and open wounds,” said Steve Hindi, President of SHARK.
“No veterinarians were present that day either, but no officials in Ogle County care about these sentient beings or enforcing the clear law. Not State’s Attorney Mike Rock, not VanVickle, not Patricia Holm, Administrator of Animal Control—absolutely nobody will stop this,” continued Hindi.
On May 25, at around 3:00 p.m., SHARK confirmed that the Animal Control officer had left the property while the event was still underway.
“This was the same officer who literally sat in her vehicle and directed traffic on April 19, while animals were being crippled and mangled all around her,” Wiederkehr said. “Their utter lack of compassion and dereliction of duty is unbelievable!”
SHARK has spent months calling on Governor JB Pritzker, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly, Zone 2 of the Illinois State Police, and every local authority to take action.
They’ve demanded that Rochelle’s special use permit be revoked, a full investigation be launched, and those responsible be held criminally accountable. So far, none of these officials have responded.
“Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, neither the Governor, Illinois State Police, Ogle County Sheriff, Ogle County State’s Attorney, nor the Ogle County Board has responded to SHARK and the public’s outpouring of concern,” said SHARK Vice President Mike Kobliska. “The negligence of our state officials and law enforcement is unacceptable and must be rectified as soon as possible.”
The continued tolerance of this cruelty raises serious questions about the role of law enforcement and the state in upholding even the most basic protections for animals. Illinois law is clear, but without enforcement, it’s meaningless.
What happened in Rochelle is not just a disgrace. It’s a call to action!
