“I’ve placed hundreds of dogs in homes,” Lutter said.
But her days as operator of the non-profit Helping Paws animal shelter in a rural area of Lucerne Valley are likely over.
On Feb. 13, Lutter, 58, and her daughter Lacy Lutter, 29, were arrested on felony animal cruelty charges. They are scheduled to be arraigned April 10 in Victorville court and each face 10 felony cruelty-to-animals charges, with special allegations for state prison eligibility.
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| Sherree Lutter, left, and her daughter Lacy Lutter play with the dogs still at the Lucerne Valley residence formerly the Helping Paws animal shelter. |
“Talk about the world’s dumbest criminals,” she said. “I thought they (the animal control officers accompanying the arresting sheriff’s deputies) were here to help us.”
According to a San Bernardino County sheriff’s incident report, the animal shelter contained 127 dogs and at least 15 cats living in filthy conditions. One cat was partially eaten.
Lutter says the people who were helping with feeding, cleaning and maintenance had stopped assisting her.
“I admit I was in over my head,” she said.
But she contends that no animals were worse off than when they arrived at the shelter, with the exception of one sweet-natured dog that had cancer. During a recent visit she showed a reporter a small stack of papers with photos and information on each dog taken by the county.
At a glance, many of the animals appear normal, with several looking slightly thin but not emaciated.
Regarding the cat, she said, “It was half-eaten by some (wild) animal.”
New problems began for Lutter the moment she was arrested. She alleges that while she was in jail someone came into her home through a door left unlocked by authorities and stole several cherished personal items, including silver dollars she inherited from her late father.
She says she also faces an untenable amount in fines.
“I’m supposed to pay until I’m 104,” Lutter said. “It’s stupid. I didn’t have the $444 (to pay kennel penalty fees for 10 dogs), what makes them think I’m going to have that kind of money?”
Although she didn’t receive help after earlier notification that she needed to place her animals in homes, she credited other area shelters for helping out after her arrest and taking in dogs.
Lutter says that four days after her arrest she had a heart attack and was hospitalized for five days. She expects to receive disability as a result.
This is not the first time Lutter has gotten in trouble with the county. In 2004 she was convicted of 24 counts of not having dog licenses and operating an illegal kennel, records show. She was also convicted of invalid land use, public nuisance abatement and substandard conditions.
Her legal issues have gone beyond the animal-related. In 2003, records show she was convicted of possessing hydriodic acid with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, a felony. And in 2005, Lutter was convicted on a misdemeanor attempted theft of personal property charge, records show.
Besides the numerous dogs and cats she has adopted out since she and her estranged husband bought the shelter property in 2007, Helping Paws participated in many pet adoption events at area pet stores. The Helping Paws website attracted 482,642 visitors for an average of 628 visitors per day, four times the average for most animal adoption websites, she said.
The county let her keep several of the healthier and better-natured dogs and cats on her 5-acre property. She also still has a horse and a goat.
On Wednesday afternoon, two dogs greeted a visitor with friendly sniffs and wagging tails.
“If we were so bad to the animals, why would they want to escape and then come back to me?” Lutter asked.
[She is an idiot. A child who has been repeatedly beaten and abused by his father will still cling to his father's leg, professing love. I'm to believe she's innocent because the animals haven't fled her property? Geez.]
(Daily Press - March 15, 2014)
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