CONNECTICUT -- Elizabeth Schultz can't understand why such a fuss is being made over her "family" -- scores of dogs and puppies packed into filthy cages at her two houses in Enfield and Windsor Locks.
Schultz, who was found by police this week with 49 dogs in her Enfield home -- six of them dead in the freezer and refrigerator -- said in an interview Friday she does not understand why police are concerned about her treatment of the animals.
She has a mental condition and needed mandatory mental health counseling. Clearly, she does not understand the pain and torture she is inflicting on these animals, which suffer and die at her hands.
"They're my family," Schultz said as she sat in the front yard of her Enfield home at 11 Lox Lane. "I don't have a husband and I don't have any kids, so they're my kids. There is no way in the world I would hurt my kids."
Schultz said she has owned dogs for many years, but has been breeding them for only three years. She said conditions at her house began to deteriorate about six months ago, though officials said they received complaints as long ago as January 1991.
"Things creep up on you," she said. "The cages are hard to clean, and there's so many of them. I keep papers in there, but what can I say? I do the best I can."
Police say they expect to obtain arrest warrants for Schultz next week charging her with multiple counts of cruelty to animals.
Police were called to Schultz's Enfield house Wednesday night by a neighbor complaining about barking dogs. They found Schultz's 88-year-old mother, Mary Schultz, along with 43 live dogs -- police initially said 45 live dogs, but revised the number Friday. The dogs were stacked in cages soiled with feces and urine. Four dead dogs were found in the freezer and two more dead ones were in the refrigerator, police said.
A neighbor then told police that the Schultzes own a house in Windsor Locks. In the Windsor Locks house, at 5 West St., police found three dead dogs and a dead bird in the freezer, as well as 13 live dogs and two live cats in stacked cages soiled with feces.
Schultz said she kept the dead dogs in the freezer to preserve them while she saved money to buy coffins. "I had to put some in the refrigerator because the freezer was full," she said.
Schultz said she had planned to start a dog cemetery in the back yard of her Enfield house, but a friend told her it was illegal to bury dogs on the property. The puppies were stillborn, Schultz said. One of the adult dogs, named Hansel, died of a heart attack, she said.
A University of Connecticut pathologist who conducted autopsies on the dogs Thursday could not determine the cause of death, a university spokesman said. The results of further tests are expected in several weeks.
Meanwhile, the North Central District Health Department condemned both houses Friday, certifying that they are not fit for humans to live in. But Schultz, who is still staying in the Enfield house, said she plans to clean them.
Mary Schultz had lived in Windsor Locks, but she moved in with Elizabeth Schultz in Enfield about three years ago. Mary Schultz was taken to Johnson Memorial Hospital Wednesday, suffering from dehydration. She was listed in good condition there Friday.
A 54-year-old taxi dispatcher at Bradley International Airport, Elizabeth Schultz said she never meant to own so many dogs, but she was having trouble finding good homes for them.
Schultz runs a dog breeding business called Love's Puppy Inn, but she said she has sold only 10 dogs in three years. The dogs were well fed, she said, but there were so many that she could not keep the cages clean.
Police said the dogs were living in cages stacked throughout both houses, with as many as seven dogs to a cage. The windows in both houses were shut, forcing police to wear air masks to enter them.
"I can smell it, but it's like anything. You get used to it," Schultz said. "I would air out the place but then the neighbors would complain."
Schultz presented herself to Enfield police for questioning Friday morning. She was not accompanied by a lawyer and was interviewed for about three hours.
Enfield Dog Warden Fred Provencher said Schultz has cooperated, providing police with licensing and vaccination documents.
Enfield Police Sgt. Michael McMullen said the department would apply for an arrest warrant next week charging Schultz with multiple counts of cruelty to animals, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of as much as $1,000 and a year in jail for each count.
Windsor Locks police Det. Rick Rachele said police there also expect to obtain an arrest warrant for Schultz by early next week.
More than 100 people have called the Enfield police station, wanting to adopt the dogs. But McMullen said the dogs, which are in pounds in Enfield, Suffield, Windsor Locks and Somers, cannot be adopted until arrangements are made with a Superior Court judge.
Schultz said she wants the dogs returned to her so she can screen prospective owners.
"I don't want my kids to go to just anybody," Schultz said.
(Hartford Courant - July 31, 1993)
Earlier:
Saturday, July 31, 1993
Friday, July 30, 1993
Connecticut: 51 Dogs, 6 Dead, Found In Elizabeth Schultz's House, Police Say
CONNECTICUT -- A reclusive woman was found Wednesday with 51 dogs in her Lox Lane home -- including six dead ones in her refrigerator and freezer next to the food, police said.
Of the 45 small terriers that were alive, many were restrained in cages and appeared unhealthy before they were removed to kennels, police Sgt. Michael McMullen said.
The stench of dog feces in the house was so strong that Enfield firefighters donned air packs to open windows before police and dog officials could enter, police said. The temperature in the sealed-up house exceeded 100 degrees, police said.
"Why would you put a [dead] dog in the refrigerator?" police Lt. Carl Sferrazza asked. "It's kind of an incredible type of thing."
Police identified the woman who had the dogs as Elizabeth Schultz, 54, of 11 Lox Lane. Police said she lived with her mother, Mary Schultz, who was was taken to an area hospital and treated for dehydration. Elizabeth Schultz could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.
McMullen said the case is under investigation and no charges have been filed. Police said many of the dogs were puppies.
Neighbors described Schultz as a reclusive woman who breeded dogs. They said she works at Bradley International Airport, but spent the rest of her time inside with the dogs, never letting them outside.
Neighbors said they could smell the dog stench on the street when Schultz opened her windows -- which they said rarely happened.
Police said the house was sealed when they arrived after town Dog Warden Fred Provencher received a complaint about a barking dog. Officials from the Connecticut Humane Society, who arrived on the scene, could not be reached late Wednesday for comment.
The dead dogs were brought to a University of Connecticut veterinary school for examination, police said. The live ones were taken to dog pounds and by the humane society, police said
(Hartford Courant - July 29, 1993)
Earlier:
Of the 45 small terriers that were alive, many were restrained in cages and appeared unhealthy before they were removed to kennels, police Sgt. Michael McMullen said.
The stench of dog feces in the house was so strong that Enfield firefighters donned air packs to open windows before police and dog officials could enter, police said. The temperature in the sealed-up house exceeded 100 degrees, police said.
"Why would you put a [dead] dog in the refrigerator?" police Lt. Carl Sferrazza asked. "It's kind of an incredible type of thing."
Police identified the woman who had the dogs as Elizabeth Schultz, 54, of 11 Lox Lane. Police said she lived with her mother, Mary Schultz, who was was taken to an area hospital and treated for dehydration. Elizabeth Schultz could not be reached for comment Wednesday night.
McMullen said the case is under investigation and no charges have been filed. Police said many of the dogs were puppies.
Neighbors described Schultz as a reclusive woman who breeded dogs. They said she works at Bradley International Airport, but spent the rest of her time inside with the dogs, never letting them outside.
Neighbors said they could smell the dog stench on the street when Schultz opened her windows -- which they said rarely happened.
Police said the house was sealed when they arrived after town Dog Warden Fred Provencher received a complaint about a barking dog. Officials from the Connecticut Humane Society, who arrived on the scene, could not be reached late Wednesday for comment.
The dead dogs were brought to a University of Connecticut veterinary school for examination, police said. The live ones were taken to dog pounds and by the humane society, police said
(Hartford Courant - July 29, 1993)
Earlier:
Tuesday, June 29, 1993
Connecticut: Foul odors emanating from Elizabeth Schultz's home -- and her refusal to let the dog warden inspect it -- prompted police to arrest the convicted animal abuser this week
CONNECTICUT -- Foul odors emanating from Elizabeth Schultz's home -- and her refusal to let the dog warden inspect it -- prompted police to arrest the convicted animal abuser this week.
Schultz, 56, was arrested on a charge of violation of probation. She was convicted in 1993 of cruelty to animals after she was found harboring 56 dogs in feces-soiled cages.
Schultz received a one-year suspended sentence and 30 months' probation in the 1993 case. If convicted of violating her probation, she could be forced to serve the one-year jail term.
Schultz, who is free on bond, appeared in Enfield Superior Court Thursday, and her case was continued to Aug. 25. She declined to comment as she left the courthouse.
In two sworn affidavits seeking a warrant for her arrest, Enfield Animal Control Officer Fred Provencher said he repeatedly tried to inspect the inside of Schultz's Lox Lane house after neighbors complained of the conditions there. Under the terms of Schultz's probation, she must allow police officers to inspect her house.
On July 20, Provencher said, Schultz fled the house through the front door while he was knocking on the back door.
On July 21, Provencher and probation officer Cynthia Agyemang could hear more than one dog barking in the house, and could smell ``an overwhelming stench of ammonia/urine and feces'' emanating from the house, the affidavit says. The temperature was about 82 degrees, the doors were closed, all the windows were boarded up and no working air conditioner could be seen.
When police arrested Schultz Wednesday, firefighters had to air out the house so police could search it, but no dogs were found, police said.
In the 1993 case, Schultz was initially charged with 60 counts of cruelty to animals after her dogs were found in houses in Enfield and Windsor Locks. Police also found a total of nine dead dogs in freezers and a refrigerator in the two houses.
Under the conditions of probation, Schultz is allowed to own two dogs, and they must be spayed or neutered. She must undergo psychiatric counseling, refrain from breeding her dogs, and was required to donate $100 to the Windsor Locks dog pound and $150 to the Enfield dog pound.
(Hartford Courant - July 28, 1995)
Schultz, 56, was arrested on a charge of violation of probation. She was convicted in 1993 of cruelty to animals after she was found harboring 56 dogs in feces-soiled cages.
Schultz received a one-year suspended sentence and 30 months' probation in the 1993 case. If convicted of violating her probation, she could be forced to serve the one-year jail term.
Schultz, who is free on bond, appeared in Enfield Superior Court Thursday, and her case was continued to Aug. 25. She declined to comment as she left the courthouse.
In two sworn affidavits seeking a warrant for her arrest, Enfield Animal Control Officer Fred Provencher said he repeatedly tried to inspect the inside of Schultz's Lox Lane house after neighbors complained of the conditions there. Under the terms of Schultz's probation, she must allow police officers to inspect her house.
On July 20, Provencher said, Schultz fled the house through the front door while he was knocking on the back door.
On July 21, Provencher and probation officer Cynthia Agyemang could hear more than one dog barking in the house, and could smell ``an overwhelming stench of ammonia/urine and feces'' emanating from the house, the affidavit says. The temperature was about 82 degrees, the doors were closed, all the windows were boarded up and no working air conditioner could be seen.
When police arrested Schultz Wednesday, firefighters had to air out the house so police could search it, but no dogs were found, police said.
In the 1993 case, Schultz was initially charged with 60 counts of cruelty to animals after her dogs were found in houses in Enfield and Windsor Locks. Police also found a total of nine dead dogs in freezers and a refrigerator in the two houses.
Under the conditions of probation, Schultz is allowed to own two dogs, and they must be spayed or neutered. She must undergo psychiatric counseling, refrain from breeding her dogs, and was required to donate $100 to the Windsor Locks dog pound and $150 to the Enfield dog pound.
(Hartford Courant - July 28, 1995)
Monday, May 3, 1993
Florida: "The overriding feeling of people in the community is she's disturbed" - Vikki Kittles, charged with 22 counts of animal cruelty, continues to hoard suffering animals
FLORIDA -- Quiet little Astoria, Ore. hasn`t been the same since former Broward resident Vikki Kittles arrived in town.
Vikki Rene Kittles (also known as Susan Dietrich, Rene Depenbrock, and Lynn Zellan), 45, is the woman arrested in 1985 at her mother`s Wilton Manors home on animal cruelty charges after police discovered the women's roommates were two horses, 37 dogs and three cats.
She left Broward County in 1988 only to draw attention again last month on the rural, northern Oregon coast with 117 dogs, four cats and two chickens squeezed into a school bus.
Now Kittles -- arrested on April 16 near Astoria, population 10,000 -- is charged with 22 misdemeanor counts of animal neglect.
The quiet and normalcy of Astoria has been disrupted by Kittles` appearance.
"She`s starting to lose it," said Clatsop County Sheriff`s Deputy Ed Rhoads. "She came in our parking lot (on Friday) and was ranting and raving."
Dan Carter, managing editor of the Daily Astorian, said, "She`s left four or five messages on my voice mail -- just rambling thoughts, really."
Such actions are familiar to those who encountered Kittles in Broward. She had several volatile enounters with police, claimed people were conspiring to kill her animals and routinely fired lawyers who represented her.
Kittles left South Florida in 1985 rather than go to trial on the animal abuse charges. She took her mother, Jean Sullivan -- and a lot of animals -- with her.
When Kittles was re-arrested in Manatee County in 1987, she returned to Broward to face animal abuse and other charges. Sullivan has never been heard from again -- a mystery that still baffles police, who think she is dead.
Kittles` sister-in-law, Carol Kittles of Kendall, hired a private detective to try to find Sullivan. The detective failed. Vikki Kittles has adamantly refused to discuss her mother with police.
Carol Kittles said she will not try to question Vikki Kittles about Sullivan, who if alive, would be in her late 70s.
"There's nothing I can do," she said. "She won`t speak to me, anyway."
Kittles could not be reached for comment. Directory assistance in Astoria has no telephone listing for her and it could not be determined where she is living.
Kittles spent about a week in jail on the Oregon charges before being released. Her animals were placed in a county animal shelter and a private kennel pending the outcome of her trial.
"We've gotten a lot of calls from people wanting to come down and adopt them," Rhoads said. Others have donated food and money.
Oregon authorities said Kittles picked up most of the dogs from a Mississippi shelter, supposedly" so they would not be killed". Then she drove to Colorado and Washington before ending up in Oregon.
"We`re finding out dogs died along the way," Rhoads said. One witness in Washington saw Kittles set the carcass of a dog on fire, he said.
Since her Oregon arrest, Vikki Kittles has fired three court-appointed attorneys. Now she must act as her own lawyer or hire one at her own expense.
She also has been banned from the animal shelter because she caused a ruckus during an earlier visit. At least two of her dogs have died from illnesses, and others have heartworms.
It is perhaps ironic that Kittles, the self-styled animal lover, is staying in Astoria. The town is named after John Jacob Astor, the fur magnate who established a fur trading post in the area.
"The overriding feeling of people in the community is she's disturbed," said Carter, the newspaper editor. "People aren't really amused by this whole thing. But she has had some supporters."
Kittles' next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, when she is expected to ask a judge to force the animal shelter to preserve the bodies of any of her animals that die in its custody.
(Sun Sentinel - May 3, 1993)
Vikki Rene Kittles (also known as Susan Dietrich, Rene Depenbrock, and Lynn Zellan), 45, is the woman arrested in 1985 at her mother`s Wilton Manors home on animal cruelty charges after police discovered the women's roommates were two horses, 37 dogs and three cats.
She left Broward County in 1988 only to draw attention again last month on the rural, northern Oregon coast with 117 dogs, four cats and two chickens squeezed into a school bus.
Now Kittles -- arrested on April 16 near Astoria, population 10,000 -- is charged with 22 misdemeanor counts of animal neglect.
The quiet and normalcy of Astoria has been disrupted by Kittles` appearance.
"She`s starting to lose it," said Clatsop County Sheriff`s Deputy Ed Rhoads. "She came in our parking lot (on Friday) and was ranting and raving."
Dan Carter, managing editor of the Daily Astorian, said, "She`s left four or five messages on my voice mail -- just rambling thoughts, really."
Such actions are familiar to those who encountered Kittles in Broward. She had several volatile enounters with police, claimed people were conspiring to kill her animals and routinely fired lawyers who represented her.
Kittles left South Florida in 1985 rather than go to trial on the animal abuse charges. She took her mother, Jean Sullivan -- and a lot of animals -- with her.
When Kittles was re-arrested in Manatee County in 1987, she returned to Broward to face animal abuse and other charges. Sullivan has never been heard from again -- a mystery that still baffles police, who think she is dead.
Kittles` sister-in-law, Carol Kittles of Kendall, hired a private detective to try to find Sullivan. The detective failed. Vikki Kittles has adamantly refused to discuss her mother with police.
Carol Kittles said she will not try to question Vikki Kittles about Sullivan, who if alive, would be in her late 70s.
"There's nothing I can do," she said. "She won`t speak to me, anyway."
Kittles could not be reached for comment. Directory assistance in Astoria has no telephone listing for her and it could not be determined where she is living.
Kittles spent about a week in jail on the Oregon charges before being released. Her animals were placed in a county animal shelter and a private kennel pending the outcome of her trial.
"We've gotten a lot of calls from people wanting to come down and adopt them," Rhoads said. Others have donated food and money.
Oregon authorities said Kittles picked up most of the dogs from a Mississippi shelter, supposedly" so they would not be killed". Then she drove to Colorado and Washington before ending up in Oregon.
"We`re finding out dogs died along the way," Rhoads said. One witness in Washington saw Kittles set the carcass of a dog on fire, he said.
Since her Oregon arrest, Vikki Kittles has fired three court-appointed attorneys. Now she must act as her own lawyer or hire one at her own expense.
She also has been banned from the animal shelter because she caused a ruckus during an earlier visit. At least two of her dogs have died from illnesses, and others have heartworms.
It is perhaps ironic that Kittles, the self-styled animal lover, is staying in Astoria. The town is named after John Jacob Astor, the fur magnate who established a fur trading post in the area.
"The overriding feeling of people in the community is she's disturbed," said Carter, the newspaper editor. "People aren't really amused by this whole thing. But she has had some supporters."
Kittles' next court appearance is scheduled for Friday, when she is expected to ask a judge to force the animal shelter to preserve the bodies of any of her animals that die in its custody.
(Sun Sentinel - May 3, 1993)
Saturday, October 17, 1992
Florida: Parents of little boy attacked by a pit bull while inside Delray Bait and Tackle shop file lawsuit
FLORIDA -- The parents of a boy bitten in March by a pit bull terrier while inside Delray Bait and Tackle filed a lawsuit on Friday against the tackle shop and the dog's owner.
The lawsuit, filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court by George and Jamie Biegler, seeks more than $15,000 in damages against the shop and Patty Morris.
The suit said George Biegler and his son, Kevin Biegler, were in the shop on March 15 buying fishing bait when the pit bull bit Kevin while Morris socialized with shop employees.
The Bieglers are suing for their son's bodily injury, mental anguish, and pain and suffering. They also are seeking damages for mental anguish and medical costs they incurred.
(Sun Sentinel - October 17, 1992)
The lawsuit, filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court by George and Jamie Biegler, seeks more than $15,000 in damages against the shop and Patty Morris.
The Bieglers are suing for their son's bodily injury, mental anguish, and pain and suffering. They also are seeking damages for mental anguish and medical costs they incurred.
(Sun Sentinel - October 17, 1992)
Wednesday, January 9, 1991
Florida: Timothy Jenk, 42, accused of ripping the tail off a kitten
FLORIDA -- A man was jailed on an animal cruelty charge after he tore the tail off of a kitten he was carrying at a soup kitchen on Monday, police said.
Timothy Lee Jenk, 42, was arrested after a witness told police Jenk was holding a bloody kitten at the First Lutheran Church. Jenk was confronted by a police officer when he returned to the soup kitchen, apparently after changing his shirt, police said.
Jenk lied and told the officer a veterinarian had removed the kitten's tail the day before. Police said the black 12-week-old kitten appeared to be in severe pain and the injury was fresh.
When the officer told Jenk he was going to call Broward Animal Control, Jenk fled, police said. After a short chase, the officer caught Jenk and found a blood-soaked shirt.
Jenk was jailed in lieu of $100 bail, which was raised to $5,100 on Tuesday. The cat was turned over to Animal Control and underwent an operation for its injury on Tuesday.
(Sun Sentinel - January 9, 1991)
Timothy Lee Jenk, 42, was arrested after a witness told police Jenk was holding a bloody kitten at the First Lutheran Church. Jenk was confronted by a police officer when he returned to the soup kitchen, apparently after changing his shirt, police said.
Jenk lied and told the officer a veterinarian had removed the kitten's tail the day before. Police said the black 12-week-old kitten appeared to be in severe pain and the injury was fresh.
When the officer told Jenk he was going to call Broward Animal Control, Jenk fled, police said. After a short chase, the officer caught Jenk and found a blood-soaked shirt.
Jenk was jailed in lieu of $100 bail, which was raised to $5,100 on Tuesday. The cat was turned over to Animal Control and underwent an operation for its injury on Tuesday.
(Sun Sentinel - January 9, 1991)
Saturday, January 5, 1991
Florida: Girl, 9, bitten by John Trucks' Pit bull. Police officer who responded also attacked by the same Pit Bull
FLORIDA -- A police officer and a girl were bitten by a Pit Bull mix that attacked children who were walking home from Flamingo Elementary School, police said on Friday.
Officer Jay Seiler was bitten twice on Thursday on the right leg, one puncturing the skin and the other failing to penetrate his leather boot, police spokeswoman Christine Murray said.
The dog also bit Jessica McClung, 9, on the hand but did not puncture the skin, Murray said.
The pit bull's owner released the dog to authorities, and the animal is expected to be euthanized and tested for rabies, police said. The dog has never had a rabies shot, Murray said.
A second police officer, Scott Kiso, saw two pit bulls run up to a group of children, and then go after a second group of youngsters. He did not know whether anyone was bitten during those incidents, Murray said.
Jessica told her mother that children near her who were walking home from school had yelled at one of the dogs and stomped their feet at it before it ran over to her and bit her, said Jessica`s mother, Ella Burdick.
Police were called to the 700 block of Southwest 133rd Terrace when a passer- by reported that two dogs were attacking children.
The officers saw the dogs run under a trailer and into a yard. Officer Seiler was walking to the front door of the trailer looking for the owner when he was bitten by the dog that bit Jessica, Murray said.
No charges had been filed against the dogs' owner, John Trucks, Murray said. An investigation is continuing.
The second dog, also owned by Trucks, a female who had puppies recently, will be quarantined for 10 days to determine whether she has rabies. Murray said the dog`s rabies shots were not up to date.
(Sun Sentinel - January 5, 1991)
Officer Jay Seiler was bitten twice on Thursday on the right leg, one puncturing the skin and the other failing to penetrate his leather boot, police spokeswoman Christine Murray said.
The dog also bit Jessica McClung, 9, on the hand but did not puncture the skin, Murray said.
The pit bull's owner released the dog to authorities, and the animal is expected to be euthanized and tested for rabies, police said. The dog has never had a rabies shot, Murray said.
A second police officer, Scott Kiso, saw two pit bulls run up to a group of children, and then go after a second group of youngsters. He did not know whether anyone was bitten during those incidents, Murray said.
Jessica told her mother that children near her who were walking home from school had yelled at one of the dogs and stomped their feet at it before it ran over to her and bit her, said Jessica`s mother, Ella Burdick.
Police were called to the 700 block of Southwest 133rd Terrace when a passer- by reported that two dogs were attacking children.
The officers saw the dogs run under a trailer and into a yard. Officer Seiler was walking to the front door of the trailer looking for the owner when he was bitten by the dog that bit Jessica, Murray said.
No charges had been filed against the dogs' owner, John Trucks, Murray said. An investigation is continuing.
The second dog, also owned by Trucks, a female who had puppies recently, will be quarantined for 10 days to determine whether she has rabies. Murray said the dog`s rabies shots were not up to date.
(Sun Sentinel - January 5, 1991)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)