A neighbor's report of a strong odor led police to a freezer in a house owned by former Beverly Hills Mayor Charlotte Spadaro. Police called to the home discovered it was a house filled with dogs. Spadaro stayed in the brown stucco house only occasionally.
Authorities said the body of a Great Dane had been placed in a garage freezer.
Spadaro, who was determined to open an animal rescue facility, looked to San Bernardino County to find an affordable location. Spadaro and some investors settled on a location in Fontana, but they outgrew that shelter in 2002 and moved to the Rialto home on South Acacia Avenue.
Police officers were called in Sunday after a neighbor -- Org's Kennel owner Barbara Org -- reported a strong stench.
Spadaro said she did not remember when the Great Dane died and was stuffed into the garage freezer, and she was not sure how many other dogs were in the freezer when it failed during the weekend. A man stopped by once per day to feed the 100 or so canines.
Police and county health officials entered with oxygen masks, Lt. Tony Farrar said.
Spadaro, a real estate lawyer who described herself as an animal activist who cannot bear to see dogs suffer, said she wanted to bury the Great Dane in the backyard but had not prepared a ceremony.
There did not appear to be anything wrong with the 100 live canines, authorities said
"I feel God sent me these dogs and I am going to take care of these dogs and do my best. If I have to go to the Supreme Court to fight for these dogs, I will," said Spadaro, who was mayor of Beverly Hills in 1986.
Sgt. Paul Wing said police began investigating Spadaro's rescue operation several months ago after receiving numerous neighbor complaints. Spadaro has a permit to operate a kennel within city limits and there is no limit on the number of dogs on site.
Investigators said animal cruelty charges could be filed. Case Updates| Charlotte Spadaro will appear in court on animal cruelty charges next on March 16, 2007 at 1:30 p.m. The charges stem from an incident in January 2005, when authorities allegedly discovered her house "filled with dogs", including the body of a Great Dane that had been placed in a garage freezer. | Source: Case # FVA024866
Update posted on Feb 14, 2007 - 8:58PM |
| Charlotte Spadaro will appear next in court for a pre-trial conference on February 9, 2007 at 1:30 p.m. at the San Bernardino County Courthouse - Fontana Branch, located at 17780 Arrow Hwy, Fontana, CA 92335. Charges against Jonathan Spadaro have been dismissed. | Source: Case # FVA024866
Update posted on Feb 5, 2007 - 6:48PM |
Charlotte Spadaro will be arraigned Thursday, when she and son Jonathan Spadaro will have a preliminary hearing date set. Jonathan Spadaro pleaded not guilty to both counts July 13. Charlotte Spadaro said she will do the same.
The Spadaros face cruelty charges based in part on the testimony of a veterinary technician, who responded in September to an advertisement for help in the kennels.
"The individual saw dogs biting each other, tearing each other apart, stuck in fences, bleeding, not fed, not cared for," Deputy District Attorney James McGee said. "It is pretty dramatic."
The city has monitored Spadaro for a variety of code violations since January, when a neighbor called to complain about an odor from the house.
When authorities arrived, they found animals overcrowded and without water, food on the ground, dead animals decomposing, and rampant infection and disease, McGee said.
Spadaro then scheduled a city inspection for Feb. 2. The day before the inspection, Jonathan Spadaro rented a Penske van and filled it with 100 to 150 animal carcasses, McGee said.
Jonathan Spadaro left the van parked on a street in Riverside, McGee said. Riverside County sheriff's deputies found the van, which began to smell, several days later.
The van incident is the basis for the concealment of evidence charge, McGee said.
On May 12, Rialto officials raided the house. They confiscated about 184 dogs and cats, many of them underweight or sick.
Spadaro said the accusations are vindictive, the product of personal grudges. She declined to elaborate.
"Mine was a very nice kennel, a beautiful kennel. There is no merit to these charges," she said. "The animals were in excellent condition. Everyone who is unbiased has said that."
Rialto Deputy City Attorney Kathy Gandara said a hearing officer later said the city was justified in confiscating the animals.
"He determined that the seizure was valid," Gandara said.
The officer returned Spadaro's animals because she assured him that she would keep the dogs and cats in an appropriate kennel, and not bring them back to her Rialto house.
"The city did not make the decision to return those animals," Gandara said.
Charlotte Spadaro said the animals are in private boarding facilities and are doing well.
McGee said Charlotte and Jonathan Spadaro could face penalties ranging from probation to three years in prison if convicted.
The maximum sentence is "highly unlikely," he said.
"The complaint is one of gross negligence," McGee said. "In all, the cruelty charge is from just too many animals not being fed, no medical attention or the treatments they needed. Too many dying," he said. "It's more about the care she provided." | Source: Inland Valley Daily Bulletin - Aug 23, 2005
Update posted on Aug 24, 2005 - 7:55AM |
Responding to neighbor complaints about a home's stench, authorities removed 135 dogs and 30 cats from a urine- and feces-soaked home where a rotting Great Dane was found earlier in a malfunctioning freezer.
Charlotte Spadaro, a former mayor of Beverly Hills, had been rescuing animals for three years and kept them at her South Acacia Avenue home. Authorities monitoring the residence since discovering the Great Dane in January finally got a search warrant to remove the animals Thursday.
"I think the city is out to have them massacred," Spadaro said.
But police Lt. Joe Cirilo said the house was a health hazard for its occupants, neighbors and the animals. After a neighbor complained months ago about the smell and noise at the house, officials found the decomposing corpse of a Great Dane in a malfunctioning freezer.
"At some point we have to draw the line," Cirilo said. "That's why we're here to seek proper care for these animals."
A city inspection was scheduled for Feb. 2 because of the Great Dane discovery. A day before the inspection, Spadaro loaded a rental van with 2,000 pounds of animal carcasses and parked it on a street in Riverside, authorities said.
Riverside County sheriff's deputies found the van, which had begun to stink, several days later.
City Attorney Kathy Gandara said the city has tried to work with Spadaro and conducted periodic inspections.
"She is not willing or able to comply," Gandara said. "This is a last resort for the city."
The animals removed from the home Thursday were taken to the Devore Animal Shelter for examination by a veterinarian. Spadaro has 10 days to request a procedural hearing to determine whether the city was justified in removing the animals.
Spadaro said she runs a legitimate kennel for rescued dogs and cats and the city's action Thursday was illegal.
"I think Rialto has been persecuting me, frankly," Spadaro said. | Source: SFgate.Com - May 13, 2005
Update posted on May 13, 2005 - 6:17PM |
References« CA State Animal Cruelty Map
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