Crime & Safety
Woman Accused Of Killing 5 Dogs Rejects Plea Deal
She also waived her right to a jury trial, and will instead go before a judge.
FAIRFIELD, CT — A woman accused of killing five dogs will go to trial after she rejected a plea deal, according to News12 Connecticut. Under the deal, Heidi Lueders would have spent 2½ years in prison and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges, News12 reports.
Lueders is the former president of local animal group Bully Breed Rescue Inc. She was charged after Fairfield police found the remains of several animal carcasses in crates inside a home on Prince Street. All five dogs were affiliated with the rescue and under Lueders' care. Lueders had told rescue members and volunteers she sent four of the dogs to a sanctuary and the fifth to a foster home.
Lueders is charged with five felony counts of animal cruelty and one felony property damage charge, according to court records.
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On Friday, she waived her right to a jury trial, and will instead go before a judge, News12 reports. A pre-trial hearing on the case is set for Nov. 14, according to court records.
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