The Linda Blair Worldheart Foundation’s Acton facility has been the center of attention after being inspected by multiple L.A. County departments for possible check code violations and the welfare of animals under the foundation’s care, a county news release announced Tuesday.
On Friday, the L.A. County Departments of Regional Planning, Public Works, Public Health, and Animal Care and Control executed an inspection warrant at the 2.5-acre property occupied by the foundation in Acton, according to the news release.
Linda Blair, a 67-year-old actress known for her role at age 14 in the 1973 horror film, “The Exorcist,” took to Facebook posting a message about the inspection of the foundation she created to promote animal welfare.
“This has been quite the experience, and I look at this as a positive. We now have more light shed on animal welfare and animal rescue and the plight of the animals than ever, ever before,” Blair said in her video posted on Tuesday.
The purpose of the inspection was to follow up on complaints about more than 100 dogs being kept in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions in a variety of unpermitted and/or unapproved sheds or outbuildings on the site, as well as to determine whether the foundation was in compliance with building and land use codes and regulations, according to the county news release.
The property was licensed as an animal facility allowing a maximum of 100 dogs, but the license expired in 2023 and was never renewed, the release said.
“The facility has been repeatedly cited for license violations, including at one point housing more than 180 dogs, violating the set limit of dogs allowed under the animal facility license at the time,” the news release said. “A number of structures have been developed in violation of the County Zoning Code, including building within required setback areas. An unpermitted industrial-size cargo container on site also raised additional concerns about animal safety.”
Regional Planning made nine separate attempts to schedule an inspection of the property, and Animal Care and Control made an additional 15 attempts over a period of three years to contact the property owner to conduct its own inspection, according to the news release. The attempts by both departments were refused or unanswered, leaving the county to seek a judicial warrant to proceed, the release said.
The inspection revealed 251 dogs were on the property, and it was not deemed necessary to remove any dogs, but some orders to comply to seek veterinary treatment were issued for three dogs. Orders to comply were also issued by Animal Care and Control to correct deficits in housing facilities and sanitation, the release said.
“The owner was issued a citation for operating an animal facility without a license and a citation for exceeding the number of animals allowed in a residence. Zoning violations were also confirmed by the Department of Regional Planning during the inspection,” according to the release.
This remains an active investigation, and no further comment about any other findings of the inspection will be provided at this time, the release said.
Attempts to directly reach Blair or other representatives of the foundation were unsuccessful on Tuesday.
