Heidi Lueders. (Beth Clifton collage)
Ex-Bully Breed Rescue president sentenced; cop charged who ran police & military dog training center
BRIDGEPORT, Connecticut––One high-profile Connecticut mass cruelty case involving high-risk “status dogs” ended on May 4, 2022––pending appeals––just as another began, 20 miles north.
The permanent status of five former Bully Breed Rescue pit bulls is dead.
Likewise for at least four dogs, believed to have been Malinois, a German shepherd, and a Labrador retriever, whose remains were found at the Black Rock Canines training center in Naugatuck.
(Beth Clifton collage)
Lueders got off easy––especially compared to her pit bulls
Yet to be seen is whether Black Rock Canines owner and New Canaan police officer David Rivera Jr., 34, his father David Rivera Sr., 57, both of Stratford, and employee Daniel Luna, 28, of Waterbury, will get off as lightly for the deaths of the dogs in their care as did Bully Breed Rescue president Heidi Lueders, whose organization has been defunct––along with the “Fairfield Five” pit bulls––since 2018.
Connecticut Superior Court Judge Peter McShane on February 9, 2022 acquitted Lueders of all five felony cruelty counts brought against her after the skeletal remains of the “Fairfield Five” were on November 11, 2018 found dead in their cages in her rented home.
McShane, however, convicted Lueders of criminal damage to property for leaving the Fairfield home filled with refuse, feces, needles, and other drug paraphernalia, along with the dead pit bulls.
(See “Rescuer” Heidi Lueders acquitted of allegedly starving five pit bulls to death.)
Lueders’ premises. (Facebook photo)
Landlord lost house to foreclosure
For that offense Lueders could have been sentenced to serve five years in prison, after spending just one hour in jail following her arrest before being bailed out by her affluent parents.
Assistant State’s Attorney Felicia Valentino “didn’t seek the maximum sentence of five years,” reported Marissa Alter of Connecticut News 12 television, “but pushed for a period of jail time followed by probation so Lueders could begin to pay restitution to [former landlord] Celly Roberts.
“Valentino said Roberts is owed $190,141,” Alter continued.
Testimony during Lueders’ trial established that Roberts lost the house to foreclosure after she was unable to pay the cost of clean-up and repairs. The loss effectively erased Roberts’ retirement savings.
Heidi Lueders at 2019 arraignment on domestic violence charges for allegedly threatening her parents with a gun.
“Bragged about how she was found innocent”
Defense attorney Rob Serafinowicz argued that Lueders should get only probation and an order to obtain treatment for drug and alcohol addiction.
Tearfully testified Lueders herself at the sentencing hearing, “People privately ask me what happened. I tell them I cannot remember because I was using that large a quantity of drugs on a daily basis. I am sorry for everything that happened, and I fully accept responsibility.”
Judge McShane then told the court that in weighing Lueders’ sentence, he took into consideration not just the crime of destruction of property that he had convicted Lueders of, but also her subsequent behavior.
“I saw her bragging [on social media] about how she was found innocent. I thought I was pretty clear that she was not found innocent,” McShane said. “She was found not guilty. There was no accepting of responsibility at that time. Not once did she offer any apologies or sympathies towards Ms. Roberts.”
(Beth Clifton collage)
“Those dogs were left to rot”
McShane went on to mention that regardless of why the “Fairfield Five” died, “Those dogs who died were left to rot, were left to decay, were left to diminish in their cages in which an animal should be able to find some comfort.”
McShane finally sentenced Lueders to serve fifteen months in prison, followed by five years on probation, during which time she may not “work with or have any further involvement with any organization that rescues animals,” must complete an online ‘animal cruelty program,’ may not possess firearms, must work full time, and must pay restitution to Roberts in an amount to be determined by the Department of Probation.
Calling the sentence “absolutely ridiculous,” Lueders’ defense lawyer Serafinowicz said he would appeal her conviction. McShane set Lueders’ appeal bond at $350,000.
(Beth Clifton collage)
Illegal explosives & firearms
Meanwhile in Naugatuck, half an hour from the Lueders sentencing hearing, authorities disclosed that a late April 2022 joint investigation by the Connecticut Department of Agriculture animal control unit, the Connecticut State Police, the Stratford police department and the Naugatuck Police Department had produced charges pertaining to alleged cruelty to animals and storage of illegal explosives and firearms at Black Rock Canines.
The Black Rock Canine dog training facility advertises that, “Our dogs are farm-raised in the U.S.A. and treated humanely, with full accountability and transparency from birth.”
But, summarized NBC Connecticut, “Investigators said they believe at least 10 canines were killed by employees of the business. The dogs are believed to have been shot and killed and then buried on the property by the owner or operators of the business. State police said they have found the remains of four dogs there.”
Thirty-one live dogs were impounded at the scene.
(Beth Clifton collage)
“Potential military & police canines”
“The business is a training facility for potential military and police canines,” NBC Connecticut elaborated, “as well as for canines privately owned by people seeking such training.”
New Canaan police officer David Rivera Jr. was “placed on leave and prohibited from serving as an active duty officer, pending the results of the criminal case and the internal investigation,” NBC Connecticut said.
Rivera Jr. was charged with reckless endangerment, conspiracy to commit cruelty to animals, and conspiracy to euthanize a dog.
“He was released after posting a $150,000 bond and is due in court on May 18, 2022,” NBC Connecticut added.
(Beth Clifton collage)
Two others charged
In addition, “David Rivera Sr., 57, of Stratford, was charged with threatening in the second degree,” FOX 61 News anchor Carmen Chau reported.
Black Rock Canines general manager Daniel Luna, 38, of Waterbury, was charged with four counts of animal cruelty and four counts of unlawfully euthanizing a dog.
“Search warrants were also executed at Rivera Jr.’s home, where police found illegal explosives and firearms, including an assault rifle,” Chau said.
(Beth & Merritt Clifton)
“The warrants stated Luna and Rivera Jr. would have a female employee transport the illegal explosives to the Naugatuck Event Center” for training exercises, Chau finished.
This was apparently without the knowledge of either the event center management or any of the owners and managers of the multiple businesses that rent space at the Naugatuck Event Center.
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Why should animal cruelty––and this was beyond animal cruelty, it was one of the worst possible exhibits of cruelty to any living thing––be made a felony if the judges give a slap on the wrist. This monster will probably get excused from any jail time. It isn’t shocking that the judge didn’t think Heidi Lueders’ actions were worthy of a harsh sentence. I often question the decisions of judges. Somehow they don’t do their job properly. Innocents get sentenced and guilty-as-sin people get the least amount of punishment. It is disheartening, upsetting, and allows someone else to commit the same crime, seeing the weak punishment. We only have to look at Michael Vick in his football uniform after his unGodly torture of innocent dogs. Strutting his stuff and get paid amazing high wages when decent people thought him a murderer!
To understand the sentencing in the Heidi Lueders case, it is critical to remember that she was not convicted of cruelty only because animal advocates insisted that she be charged with felony cruelty, which requires proving intent, and not misdemeanor cruelty, which requires proving only that a person was responsible for committing a cruel act. Once Lueders was charged with felony cruelty, the misdemeanor cruelty charges that were originally filed against her were dropped, as redundant. This proved to be a gross tactical mistake by the prosecution. Because the element of intent was not proved, Lueders was found not guilty, and could not be sentenced on any of the cruelty charges. Lueders did receive approximately as harsh a sentence as anyone ever is on a first conviction for property damage.
Astonishing as this may sound, I sincerely think that Judge McShane completely redeemed himself here and gave Heidi a pretty fair sentence, and I’ll be wearing my I’m proud to be Irish hat when I got to work later on…
I thought Judge McShane gave a real good summarization of why he gave the sentence he did, and I was very appreciative that he finally acknowledged the dogs death, and who was responsible.
I think it’s also good that Celly Roberts will be getting some benefit as well, since she was a real victim here too, along with all of those who both donated money and believed in Bully Breed Rescue being a good service for the dogs…
But one thing I did not like – when Judge McShane mentioned the social media videos of a very disturbing Heidi telling it like it was without any care in the world as also being part of his decision making regarding his ruling – could this result in a mistrial ??
I ask because I thought rulings can only be based on what is introduced as evidence during a trial in the courtroom, not on the outside.
To me it would be like a juror conducting their own research, which as we all know is not allowed.
I hope – I pray that I am wrong about that – and that Judge McShane’s ruling sticks and that the appeal gets denied.
I am also hopeful that Heidi’s tearful statement given in the courtroom was real, heartfelt, and sincere and most importantly – were her own words – and not words put in front of her.
If this is the case, then there is a real chance that Heidi may emerge afterwards from serving her sentence as a changed person – for the better – as she will have 15 months to do some serious self reflection and seek redemption.
If Heidi is sincere about her words, and it is her truth, then that is what will set her free in the end.
Personally, I think Heidi should accept her sentence and use this as a means to change her life, for the better.
I am hopeful that over time something good will come out of something that was very very bad, and I for one hope that is the case, and that Heidi can turn her life around and become a real good role model
On a personal level, I took this case very seriously when I first heard about it late last year and did my own extensive research on it, and even found out that a co-worker of mine – his cousin was Heidi’s neighbor, and actually was the one to go inside with the owner of the house on day one, and he also took about 16 pictures, which believe me were far more disturbing than what the public ever saw, as I got to see them myself, which in retrospect I wish I had not.
One picture, the bones in the cage looked exactly like the way my dog sleeps. and that severely bothered me, because I then agonized over if the dog died peacefully in it’s sleep, or was the suffering so extreme right up to the end… I mean, after a while the dogs all had to know, they are very very highly intelligent creatures after all. [I actually developed a noticeable twitch from all this…] and let’s not forget the other animals who also lived in the glass tanks… they suffered greatly too in their own ways….
I’m still astonished that nobody was called to the stand during the previous trial dates to say anything one way or the other, no one from Bully Breed Rescue, none of the neighbors, as there is no way nobody else could have not known what was possibly going on in there.
Regarding the next case, I have a very bad feeling about justice being served and that is because this was apparently a law enforcement/military type training camp for dogs.
One thing which I will never forget from when I was a volunteer fireman taking an arson investigators class around 1998 or 1999, was when one of us taking the class asked about the health effects of the instructors dog constantly having to inhale accelerants in order to be fed, he replied in a stern voice “the dog is a tool”.
By stating the the dog is a tool, this to me means the dog is also completely expendable.
So, I can see exactly where this case is going to go.
Well, on the bright side, I don’t think they found any napalm*, did they ??
*reference to previous article…..
Thanks Merritt & Beth for your outstanding reporting here.
Unable to comprehend how members of our supposedly “most intelligent” species, ostensibly mammals like us and therefore hardwired to be compassionate and social, could even dream about dealing with their fellow living beings in such ways…and then lie and boast about it. They are devils in human form.
Sharing with gratitude and revulsion.
It’s always hard to comprehend how any human being can subject animals to so much suffering and simply stand by. She had options – she could have surrendered them or even had them euthanized.
One animal rescuer I’m acquainted with has a history of drug addiction that he was able to overcome. I asked him if he ever felt compelled to harm or neglect animals during the worst phase of his life. His response: “Never. I’ve always loved animals and would never hurt them. Using alcohol or drugs as an excuse for committing cruelty is just an easy way out.”
I want to see our criminal justice system come down a lot harder on abusers and I think one of the best ways to accomplish that is by changing the laws that view animals as “property.”