Woman accused of killing 11 dogs granted mental health diversion

Mar. 29—A Kern County Superior Court judge granted mental health diversion Wednesday to a woman who's accused of killing at least 11 dogs and causing 29 more to suffer from varying levels of neglect across multiple residences.

Annie Schreiber was arrested on suspicion of 14 animal cruelty felonies after owners entrusted dogs to her care. Some ended up dying after suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration.

Prosecutors argued Schreiber withheld food and water.

Her attorney, Jared M. Thompson, said Schreiber has mental health issues and that sending her to a diversion program will give her tools to manage her mental health, eventually allowing the charges to be dismissed after she completes the diversion period.

Assistant District Attorney Joseph Kinzel, spokesman for the DA's office, wrote Superior Court Judge Elizabet Rodriguez granted the defense's motion over prosecutors' objection. A diversion program attempts to treat problems behind a person's criminal behavior, but Kinzel stated, "it is not punishment and it is not justice."

A mental health diversion program is appropriate when the treatment plan can sufficiently prevent future criminality, he wrote in an email. But he added that Schreiber had already been in therapy to treat her conditions before the alleged animal abuse occurred.

"That therapy and treatment was not enough to prevent the wide-scale abuse, suffering and death that Schreiber caused in this case," Kinzel wrote, adding, there was "reason enough to oppose mental diversion as an appropriate conclusion for this case."

It was unclear how long Schreiber's program will last until her charges may be dismissed.

Editor's note: The headline of this story has been changed to reflect that the defendant was never accused of murdering the dogs.

___

(c)2023 The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, Calif.)

Visit The Bakersfield Californian (Bakersfield, Calif.) at www.bakersfield.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.