More than two years after a kennel fire that killed 29 dogs, a DuPage County judge found trainer Garrett Mercado guilty of animal cruelty and violation of an owner’s duties.

       Mercado, 32, operated D and D Kennel on the outskirts of West Chicago and earned a reputation for being able to turn incorrigible animals into adoptable pets, rarely turning down requests from rescue organizations. But early on Jan. 14, 2019, prosecutors said, he left the property for five hours and was absent when a fire broke out before dawn. Investigators never determined the cause of the blaze.

       Prosecutors said numerous dogs in Mercado’s care had been mistreated, suffering puncture wounds, lacerations, abrasions, weight loss, muscle wasting and dehydration. They added that kennel runs were unsanitary, that dogs were kept in cages that were too small and stacked upon each other, and that one dog was tethered to a bar in a bathtub.

       Prosecutors charged Mercado with 28 counts of animal cruelty and violating an owner’s duties, both of which are misdemeanor offenses. After a five-day bench trial Judge Robert Miller found him guilty on nine counts.

       Garrett Mercado, who operated D and D Kennel, reacts after he is reunited with Capone, one of the missing dogs outside of DuPage County Animal Control on Jan. 14, 2019, in unincorporated West Chicago. Mercado's dog kennel was destroyed by an early morning fire. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

       “Judge Miller’s ruling verifies what we have said all along, that Garrett Mercado completely disregarded the health and safety of numerous dogs in his care,” State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said in a statement. “The fire that raged through the kennel that morning … is a heartbreaking tragedy for not only the owners of those dogs that perished, but also for the entire community.”

       Neither Mercado nor his attorney could be reached for comment. Sentencing is set for Oct. 22.

       jkeilman@chicagotribune.com

       Twitter @JohnKeilman

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