To: John C. Smriga, State’s Attorney - Fairfield Judicial District and Kevin T. Kane, CT Chief State’s Attorney,

On January 15, 2019 Heidi Lueders - President of CT-based Bully Breed Rescue, Inc - was arrested for the starvation to death of 5 dogs in her home, where their decomposed and skeletonized remains were found in a house in deplorable and filthy conditions. Additionally, evidence of drug use was found throughout the house and prior to her arrest she had fled police to a drug treatment program. 

Despite the extreme nature of the conditions of her home and the excessively cruel deaths inflicted upon her animals, Lueders has been charged with only misdemeanors for the deaths of the dogs in her care. Without a doubt this incident is why we have felony animal cruelty laws in CT: for the punishment of wanton, willful and extreme cruelty such as Lueders has committed.

We respectfully request that the state update her charges to felonies as provided for in CT law. Further, we request that charges be brought relating to the drugs found in her home and a complete investigation be conducted to determine if she had redirected donated funds from her organization, Bully Breed Rescue, to pay for her drug habit and personal expenses.

CT created laws specifically for situations such as this: the cruelest, the most depraved, the most heartless, the most indifferent to suffering. We ask that Lueders be prosecuted to the maximum extent of the law, not only for her wanton cruelty, but for her violations of the public trust as the leader of a CT non-profit.

https://www.ctpost.com/policereports/article/Woman-arrested-in-Fairfield-on-5-counts-of-animal-13538185.php

Thank you.

Heidi Lueders' first court date has been moved to 13 Feb 2019.