93 Dogs Euthanized After Being ‘Put in Hot Boxes and Starved’ at Animal Shelter

Back in 2024, 93 out of 114 dogs rescued from the California-based Woofy Acres Adoptions, had to be euthanized because they were suffering so badly. Diana Bedford, the executive director of the self-described “dog rescue,” is scheduled for a court hearing on February 17. But despite the beyond horrific conditions these dogs were kept in and the felonies she has been charged with, experts warn that she might get off with just probation.

“The fact that 93 dogs had to be immediately euthanized makes this the worst animal cruelty case I’ve ever seen,” said Shira Scott Astrof, founder of the Animal Rescue Mission, to Fox 11 News. 

The Orange County shelter first made news in early 2024, when Bedford was accused of abandoning 32 dogs at a kennel in a different county. Orange County Animal Care had previously released the dogs to Woofy Acres, but she then tried to pass them along somewhere else.

“We don’t understand how anyone would think this is OK,” Shanderin Kennels Vet Tech Samantha Redline said to KTLA. “We heard that she did this to two other facilities.”

Later in 2024, according to Victor Valley News, San Bernardino Animal Control was notified of the dire situation at Woofy Acres via a written complaint. When they arrived on scene, they were shocked. The dogs were kept in unsanitary and overcrowded conditions, while being denied adequate food, water, and medical care. The smell of feces and urines permeated the entire property. 

“[Bedford] put them in hot boxes and let them starve to death,” Scott Astrof said. “When they were rescued, most of them were skin and bones, just barely alive, and that’s why euthanasia was the only humane option.”

Victor Valley News reports that in addition to the dogs who had to be immediately put down, four more died shortly after. Only 17 dogs survived. Bedford wasn’t arrested until the following August. 

According to the San Bernandino Sun, she has been charged with seven counts of felony cruelty to animals, nine counts of misdemeanor cruelty to an animal, and 21 counts of failure to care for an animal. But despite the terrible cruelty, Bedford could get away with minimal punishment. Fox 11 News reports that the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office is considering a plea deal.

Scott Astrof told Fox 11 that the defense will argue that this is a case of mental-health-related animal hoarding instead of intentional cruelty. If that’s the case, the prosecutors may try to argue for only one felony animal cruelty charge. And under California law, that might mean that Bedford would get probation instead of jail time or even a fine. 

“She went to shelters pretending to rescue these dogs, collected money and didn’t provide care,” Scott Astrof said. “This was not accidental.”

Former prosecutor and legal analyst Mary David told Fox 11 that in addition to the animal cruelty charges, Bedford could also face charges related to fraud or tax violations. 

“If this is someone who had a nonprofit and was taking donations but was not stewarding that in a way that supported the care of these animals, that is something that could come out,” she told the outlet.

Bedford’s court hearing is scheduled for Feb. 17. Scott Astrof and other animal activists urge the public to contact the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office and demand accountability.