Over 250 Animals Removed From Former Beverly Hills Mayor’s Home

Charlotte Spadaro, a real estate lawyer who was the mayor of Beverly Hills in 1986, describes herself as an animal activist who cannot bear to see dogs suffer. So she decided to open an animal rescue facility, and searched in San Bernadino County to find an affordable location. Spadaro teamed with other investors to open a shelter in Fontana, but when they outgrew that shelter in 2002, they were forced to move to a home on South Acacia avenue in Rialto. The Rialto shelter operated quietly until several months ago, when neighbors began complaining to authorities about the strong odors coming from the house. Spadaro has a permit to operate a kennel within city limits and the permit does not place a limit on the number of dogs allowed in the shelter. But when investigators visited the kennel in January in response to the numerous complaints, they were shocked to find 135 dogs and 30 cats living in a house that was soaked with urine and feces. Police and county health officials had to enter the house with oxygen masks because of the horrific stench.

Inside the house, they made another grisly discovery—a freezer in the garage had stopped working, and it had the rotting carcass of a Great Dane inside. Spadaro said she didn’t remember when the dog had died and been put into the freezer. She said she had wanted to bury the Great Dane in the backyard, but had not prepared a ceremony, so the dog’s body was stuffed into the freezer where it began to decompose when the freezer stopped working. Spadaro said she is not sure how many other dogs were in the freezer when it failed. According to her, she runs a legitimate shelter, and she feels a calling to rescue unwanted animals and give them a good home. A man stops by the house once a day to feed the dogs and cats, and Spadaro stayed in the brown stucco house only occasionally.

Because of the discovery of the rotting dogs in the freezer, the city scheduled an inspection of Spadaro’s house to be carried out on February 2. But the day before the inspection, Spadaro rented a van, loaded it with over 2,000 pounds of animal carcasses, and parked it on a street in Riverside. Sheriff’s deputies found the van several days later, when it had begun to stink. City Attorney Kathy Gandara said that the city of Rialto has been trying since then to work with Spadaro and conduct periodic inspections, but Spadaro has been belligerent and resistant to any city scrutiny of her operation. So authorities monitoring the home were finally able to get a search warrant to remove the animals last week. According to Gandara, "She is not willing or able to comply. This is a last resort for the city." Spadaro, enraged by the city’s actions, said, "I think the city is out to have them massacred." But police Lt. Joe Cirilo said that the house is a health hazard not only for the animals, but also for any human occupants and neighbors. "At some point we have to draw the line," Cirilo said. "That’s why we’re here—to seek proper care for these animals."

Authorities removed the 135 dogs and 30 cats and took them to the Devore Animal Shelter for examination by a veterinarian. Spadaro has ten days to request a hearing to determine whether or not the city was justified in removing the animals from her home. Claiming that the city’s actions were illegal, Spadaro said she runs a legitimate kennel, and she thinks Rialto has been persecuting her. "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.