Former Beverly Hills Mayor and 'animal lover' Found Guilty of Animal Cruelty

Former Beverly Hills Mayor Charlotte Spadaro "was found guilty of one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty by a San Bernardino County jury Thursday, nearly six years after the charges were brought," according to the Press-Enterprise.

Spadaro has described herself over the years as an animal lover and rescuer. However, she "has faced several animal-related charges in Riverside and San Bernardino counties." This time, though, was the first time she has been found guilty.

Began as felony charges, then reduced to a misdemeanor, the case against her alleged she "kept about 180 dogs and cats in unsanitary conditions and didn't provide them proper care from September 2004 to May 2005."

Then, and now, Spadaro says the claims were based on a false police report filed by someone who visited where she kept the animals who exaggerated the conditions. She will be sentenced at the end of March in this case, but in the meantime, she "has pending animal cruelty cases from 2010 incidents in San Bernardino and Riverside."

Spadaro was the mayor of Beverly Hills in 1986-1987, and had previously served four years on the Beverly Hills City Council.