Lake Hughes Rescue Operator Charged in Massive Animal Cruelty Case

Los Angeles County prosecutors announced Friday that Christine De Anda, the woman who runs a small animal‑rescue outfit called Rock ’N’ Pawz in Lake Hughes, is now facing 35 criminal counts. The charges range from twelve felony cruelty offenses to a host of misdemeanors that include code‑enforcement violations and even grand theft of labor.

It all began in March, when Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control officers executed a search warrant at De Anda’s property. What they found was heartbreaking: more than three‑hundred dogs, cats and other animals packed into cramped, filthy enclosures. Many of the creatures were emaciated, some bore untreated injuries, and a cat was discovered dead from starvation and dehydration.

“For someone who calls herself an animal rescuer, there’s a fundamental responsibility to protect and care for the animals entrusted to her,” District Attorney Nathan Hochman said in a statement. “Instead, purported rescuer Christine De Anda allegedly left these animals to suffer or die from starvation, dehydration, untreated injuries and painful urine and fecal burns in filthy conditions.”

According to the DA’s office, the neglect wasn’t a one‑off mistake. Investigators say De Anda continued to take in animals she clearly could not tend to, even after receiving multiple citations and warnings. The misdemeanor counts include three additional cruelty charges, twelve code‑enforcement violations, two failures to provide food and water, and several infractions related to unsanitary kennel conditions.

If convicted on all counts, De Anda could be looking at up to 24½ years behind bars. The case underscores a growing concern in California about unlicensed “rescue” operations that may be more about profit than protection.

Local animal‑welfare groups have called for stricter oversight and more resources to investigate similar setups before the situation spirals out of control. Meanwhile, the rescued animals are now in the care of licensed shelters, receiving the medical attention and nutrition they were denied for far too long.