Ruth Anne Rupprecht calls her animal-recue operation Save A Furry Friend Animal Rescue Inc., or Saffari. She established the organization in 2012, running it out of two homes in the Hammock–at 6 West 16th Road and 116 Sanchez Avenue.
Flagler County Sheriff’s detectives had searched a previous Rupprecht property housing Saffari animals in 2016 on suspicion of animal neglect, at 53 County Road 330. Detectives found 20 to 30 dogs and puppies being cared for in one building and at least 17 cats in a separate enclosure. The conditions didn’t rise to the level of cruelty or neglect, but Rupprecht faced numerous code enforcement fines from running a facility without a permit, and agreed to turn over 20 puppies, five dogs and nine cats to the Humane Society. She faced no charges. She was under no obligation to stop caring for animals.
Rupprecht, who several years ago was closely involved in fund-raising and other efforts on behalf of Teens in Flight, the celebrated Flagler non-profit, continued to do so.
Detectives and deputies were again at Rupprecht’s 6 West 16th Road address last month to serve a search warrant on suspicions of drug trafficking. But when they got there, the scene inside and outside the house was wretched. It teemed with cats and dogs, not all of them alive. It was strewn with garbage and saturated with unbearably foul odors. Deputies were retching at the door to the house. A judge was again sought out and asked to amend the search warrant so deputies could search for evidence of animal cruelty. The judge did.
The number of animals in the house made it difficult for detectives to walk without risk of hurting an animal. A white cat was in a laundry basket, dead. Another was unresponsive. Some 10 cats were skin and bones, their eyes and noses runny. Floors were littered with rotting cabbage, garbage, feces of varying consistencies, newspapers soaked either with urine or other less known substances. “There were several puddles of urine and what appeared to be vomit everywhere,” a detective reported. . cat appeared to be blind, its bones showing through its fur though it was an adult cat.
Rooms’ walls were heavily damaged and appeared to have been chewed on or scratched by puppies, often a sign of frustration or neglect. “The conditions of the home [were] so deplorable that detectives could not remain inside for long periods of time without needing fresh air,” a detective reported. Trash, clothing, boxes and furniture was stacked on the stairs between the first and second floor.
As the search proceeded, Rupprecht herself stood by her pick-up truck. She had a small tan dog in the vehicle, along with a baby squirrel and a newborn kitten. At one point she attempted to leave the animals in the vehicle without air conditioning–right in front of the cops alla round her. A detective told her the air conditioning should be turned on the animals taken out of the vehicle. The detective’s report notes that during her interactions with law enforcement, Rupprecht “did not express any concern with the conditions the animals were kept in.”
The majority of the 17 dogs removed from the property “appeared to be in good condition despite the unsanitary conditions they were housed in,” the detective’s report states. The 10 cats removed were a different story. One of them, in addition to the cat in the laundry basket, subsequently died. The others showed signs of eye infections, pus, hair loss, dehydration, starvation, bloated abdomens, swollen testicles.
All were examined by veterinarians, leading to 16 charges of animal cruelty. (In all, 46 animals were seized.) Rupprecht was booked at the Flagler County jail on those charges on Wednesday. Each is a first degree misdemeanor. But she also faces three third-degree felony counts of drug possession with intent to sell and possession of a controlled substance–the activity that had provoked the initial search in mid-September.
Rupprecht had already been charged on Sept. 20 with possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. She was briefly booked at the county jail. The case came to light after she dispensed, without legal authority, prescription medication to a client who’d adopted a 7-week-old puppy from her. The puppy died days after it was adopted. Detectives subsequently determined that Rupprecht was allegedly using her animal rescue operation as a cover for selling drugs. The search conducted amid the reprehensible conditions also produced more than $20,000 cash and over 100 prescription medications. She had also qualified for a $1,000 federal grant under the Cares Act Relief Fund last year, the subsidies aimed at helping individuals and businesses during the pandemic.
She is being held on $50,000 bond at the Flagler County jail.
If you see animal abuse, call the Sheriff’s Office at 386-313-4911. Or you can remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at 1-888-277-8477 (TIPS). For more information about rescued animals, call the Flagler Humane Society at 386-445-1814 or email: info@flaglerhumanesociety.org
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Algernon says
I’m sure the Flagler Humane Society would welcome donations of cat and dog food, in addition to cash, to deal with the large influx of animals. They do good work. Their phone number and email are at the end of the story above. Please help if you can.
Keep Flagler Beautiful says
What a despicable person. This is certainly not the first time criminals have operated their (alleged) illegal activities behind a cloak of respectability. In New Hampshire, I used to spend an entire day browsing through antique shops along a road known as the antiques trail. There was one shop that always seemed strange to me. There was hardly any merchandise, and the guy at the desk didn’t seem to have any knowledge about art or antiques. The place really made me uneasy. Then the place got raided. It turns out a child pornography ring was operating its trade from the premises but were passing themselves off as an antique store to fit into the landscape and not arouse suspicion. Bottom line: When something doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t, and should be watched.
James M. Mejuto says
People . . . always be aware of unknown solicitations in your post-mail from so-called ‘animal rescue’ groups.
There are so many scams out there, so donate only to tried and true animals groups in your community.
Mod says
I am so broker hearted to hear this
And I must say it’s very hard to believe
That what they write about this women is
What I know her to be
Maybe her love to save these animal were just to much for her to
Care for them
But I’m sure she wanted to care for them all
The drug thing I can’t speak of
I got my cat from Ruth 5 years ago and he was and still is healthy
I wish you the best Ruth
God speed in you getting back home to your family
Tired says
This community screams for everyone to recognize the need for mental health services locally yet cannot recognize that is exactly what the issue is here. Ruth honestly cares deeply for all animals, but she’s been on a downward spiral for over a decade. Everyone will sit in judgement of her, yet not put down the gavel to embrace the concept that there is a lot more going on here. I pray she gets the help she desperately needs, and her adult children can decipher everything they’ve endured all these years.
ASF says
Is she also a hoarder? Sounds like the first thing her lawyer may try to do is mount a psychiatric defense.
flatsflyer says
Miking the system, 501, Cares Act, $20,000 in cash, drugs plus animal abuse charges. Quick trial then State Prison, case closed.
.
Greg says
Sounds like it almost as bad as an Amish puppy mill in Lancaster County Pa!
Samuel says
Let’s hope that Flagler County condemns that house from the photo’s it doesn’t appear anyone should be living in it. How did Flagler County allow this person to run a Animal Rescue out of a residential property? Flagler County you need to tell us how did this happen?
It also appears this person is a hoarder and only cares about money in her own pocket and a front using helpless animals to get it. Did she report all the money she received from this front rescue she ran to the Internal Revenue Services? Bet she did not.
Where did she get all those drugs from? We would like to know that?
I hope the judge hearing this case locks her up because that is where she belongs. If not she will do this all over again and then more animals will die. She appears to be a scam artist phony rescue and used helpless animals to only get money.
The State of Florida needs to make it law that any Animal Rescue needs a permit and a license and constantly inspected because if that was a law this low life wouldn’t have been able to get away with this as long.
I wonder how many other animals died because of her neglect and greed for money ONLY? It is time she pays for those helpless animals dying in her care.
Jonathan says
Hoarder or not this person should never have any animal in her possession. Remind yourself of the helpless animals that died in her care, they can’t speak now that are dead, someone has to speak for them and it sure won’t be her.
Unless the courts stop this person she will continue to do the same thing over and over again.
My question is what took so long with Flagler County to allow this to happen? There are a lot of unanswered things the need to be reported.
Those that condone this kind of behavior are just as guilty as she is.
Sheryl says
We got our dog Charlie from Ruth 8 1/2 years ago. She drove to Georgia to pick up the litter as they were going to get rid of them. People to stupid to separate 2 dogs. I saw each puppy go to different homes. When we went to pick Charlie up his Mom was feeding a another puppy someone discarded as trash. Yes I believe she hoards, absolutely is filthy but she loved these animals. Her intentions were good.. It is very sad her poor judgment was to sell drugs to provide for these animals. I am hoping she gets the help she needs.
ASF says
Agree with your first statement. People with bad hoarding issues often “hoard” animals they way they do everything else.
Pogo says
@Amen
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby
Picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window
Wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Father McKenzie
Writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear
No one comes near
Look at him working
Darning his socks in the night when there’s nobody there
What does he care?
All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people
Eleanor Rigby
Died in the church and was buried along with her name
Nobody came
Father McKenzie
Wiping the dirt from his hands as he walks from the grave
No one was saved
All the lonely people (ah, look at all the lonely people)
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people (ah, look at all the lonely people)
Where do they all belong?
Jean says
Invoking God is does not give your ridiculous poetry any credence. Supporting an animal abuser is wrong. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Jonathan says
Sheryl,
If she cared so much about animals, why did animals die in her care, why were animals so sick and infected if she cared about the animals? With all the homeless animals in the State of Florida, why was she going out of state and bringing them to Florida? Look at the pictures of her house, is that the proper environment for a person or animals to live in? Where did this person get morphine and those other drugs? What was she doing with morphine? She had poor judgement claiming to be a rescue when animals were living in deployable conditions and not getting the medical care they needed. She can claim she cared so much but it sure doesn’t appear that way at all. She had $ 20,000.00 cash in her house that sure is plenty of money to get veterinary care for all those animals and she did not do that, so don’t say she cared about the animals. $ 20,000.00 sure is enough money to have someone clean that filthy house with holes in the walls and animals living in deployable conditions. Please spare us with she cared about the animals.
A.j says
You are cruel to animals. You go to jail. A person kills his Dad he goes to the hospital. Do not understand this system. Sure she could have done better with 20 thouans $s. They might keep her in jail for a long time. A Dad killer can go free. Bad system.I will not talk about if they were people of color. What a system we live in.
A.j says
Sounds like she has a mental problem.
I think she needs a mental evaluation if didnt hsve one earlier. According to the story she is in jail. A Dad killer will probably go free.Just saying.
MikeM says
Maybe there should be a limit on how many dogs can be in a residential home.
Obviously this was too many.