Authorities on Friday filed 35 felony and misdemeanor counts against a Lake Hughes woman they allege housed rescue animals in inhumane and unsanitary conditions.
Christine De Anda, 57, is facing 12 felony counts of animal cruelty, two felony counts of grand theft of labor and 21 misdemeanors related to animal cruelty and failure to provide proper care, according to Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Nathan Hochman.
Prosecutors are asking a judge to issue a warrant for De Anda’s arrest in relation to the charges, with an arraignment to be set at a later date, according to Hochman’s office.
Daniel Josephson, De Anda’s civil attorney, said he hadn’t seen the criminal charges yet but said his client is prepared to defend against the allegations.
De Anda contends that the warrant used to search her property contained false information, Josephson said, including inconsistent descriptions of conditions and grossly inaccurate estimates of the number of animals on the property.
Prosecutors allege De Anda housed hundreds of rescue animals in inhospitable conditions. Animals were confined in overcrowded cages, covered in feces and suffered starvation, dehydration, open wounds and untreated medical conditions, Hochman said. Some animals were found eating their own feces. All the while, De Anda was soliciting donations from the public to run her rescue and continued to take in animals that she could not care for, he said.
A video from the scene released by prosecutors shows animals doubled up in cages, barking and frightened, and over a dozen cats held in a fenced area.
“Dogs bent kennel wire while attempting to escape, which an employee believed was an effort to reach water. Ms. De Anda did not want water kept in the cages because it might spill and create more work,” Hochman said.
When county investigators descended upon the scene last March with a warrant, they found hundreds of animals living in squalor, and air so pungent with urine and ammonia that rescuers donned respirators.
They recovered 233 dogs, 66 cats, one goose, one parrot, one pig, one rabbit and two goats; all are being kept in county facilities as evidence in the case against De Anda.
Marcia Mayeda, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control, said the seizure was the largest companion animal operation ever conducted by the department.
De Anda’s neighbors recalled hearing — and reporting to local authorities — barking and foul smells from the property, The Times reported in March.
“Animal cruelty has no place in our communities. Anyone entrusted with the care of animals has a responsibility to protect their health and well-being. When that trust is violated, there must be accountability,” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said in a statement Friday.
If convicted of all charges, De Anda faces over 24 years in prison.
“Those who engage in these criminal acts against these animals will suffer the consequences,” Hochman said.
