A Paso Robles woman accused of cruelty to animals and found living in an apartment with 30 dead house cats, has — much to the chagrin of the District Attorney’s Office — been granted a mental health diversion in the case.
On Oct. 12, the D.A.’s Office said in a news release, “the Court granted Laurie Lee Bryant (63) 2-years of mental health diversion on seven felony counts of animal cruelty.”
The case blew up in August 2024 when officers with the County Department of Animal Services served a warrant at Bryant’s home in the Presidio Apartment complex on Olive Street in Paso Robles.
The charges stemmed from her activities amassing cats from December 2023 until the raid in August 2024. DAS officers found some 30 dead cats plus numerous others still alive but in various stages of neglect when they raided her home. The living cats were treated at Animal Services. The D.A. did not say how many had to be euthanized by the County.
Bryant petitioned the court for the mental health considerations instead of potentially being sent to prison and the judge reportedly had little choice but to grant the diversion, with conditions. The prosecutor objected but to no avail.
“Under current California Law,” the news release said, “a defendant charged with an eligible offense who presents a qualifying diagnosis is presumed to qualify [for mental health diversion], and the judge may deny diversion for safety reasons only if the defendant is likely to commit one of a small group of the most serious violent crimes.”
Allowing 30 cats to die of starvation and neglect apparently isn’t a violent crime.
“The harm alleged here,” the D.A. said, “does not fit that narrow definition, so the law left little legal basis to deny the request.
“Our prosecutor asked the Court to deny diversion anyway, arguing that the suffering and death of so many animals should not be resolved without accountability.”
The judge in granting diversion did put in some conditions, which if she violates could mean the charges would get re-filed. Somewhat surprisingly, a prohibition on owning cats wasn’t among them.
“The Court granted diversion with conditions,” the D.A. said, “including a 4-cat limit, compliance checks by Animal Services, a firearms prohibition and regular court review. The charges remain allegations, and Ms. Bryant is presumed innocent. If she does not comply, our office will ask the Court to resume prosecution.”
It’s apparent that the D.A. isn’t happy with the outcome of the case.
“The cats in this case,” D.A. Dan Dow said, “suffered and died in conditions no living creature should endure, and they had no voice to ask for help.
“Our prosecutor objected because that kind of suffering deserves accountability.
“Under current law, though, judges have little room to weigh the harm to victims when a defendant presents a qualifying diagnosis. Mental health treatment matters, but our criminal and victim justice system must put victims at the center, including animals who depend entirely on the people responsible for their care.”
He vowed to keep an eye on the case. “We will closely monitor Ms. Bryant’s compliance,” D.A. Dow said, “and will ask the Court to resume prosecution if she fails to meet her obligations.”
In the charging document from 2024, the allegations are described in graphic detail. Bryant is alleged to have “unlawfully torture, torment, deprive of necessary sustenance, drink, or shelter, or cruelly kill an animal, or cause an animal to be so, tortured, tormented, deprived of necessary sustenance, drink, shelter, or to be mutilated, or cruelly killed; and who, having the charge or custody of an animal, either as owner or otherwise, subject an animal to needless suffering, or inflict unnecessary cruelty upon the animal, or in any manner abuse an animal, or fail to provide the animal with proper food, drink, or shelter, or protection from the weather.”
The case was investigated by SLO County Animal Services and prosecuted by Dep. D.A. Hunter Starr.
