STAR JOURNAL REPORT

Schneider

The co-founder of the animal rescue shelter, It Matters to One was arrested Feb. 16 by Oneida County Sheriff Captain Terri Hook.  Stephanie Schneider of Sugar Camp was arrested for failing to provide food or water, mistreating animals and obstructing law enforcement. Hook said Schneider may face additional charges, but it was unlikely anyone else connected with the shelter would be arrested.

Schneider’s arrest follows the Feb. 6 seizure of 39 dogs from the rescue shelter. At that time Hook said the county humane officer and others, including the county Health Department, the Oneida County Humane Society and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, realized the dogs had to be removed immediately because of concerns of neglect. The dogs were placed in the care of the OCHS for evaluation.

According to the It Matters to One Facebook page, the organization rescues dogs “that nobody else wanted or would take,” from around the country.

“We sacrifice everything we have to make sure that our dogs are properly taken care of, and placed into good homes because each of their lives matter to us…. The dogs are all that matter to us, today is heart-breaking because these accusations have made many people doubt our mission and our dedication. We hope that our community will remember that there is much more to this story and we are extremely grateful for those who are standing by us.”

According to Hook, Schneider will appear in Oneida County Circuit Court Feb. 27. The investigation is continuing.