Authorities allege that actress Linda Blair, known for her role in "The Exorcist," failed to respond to numerous calls and notices from county planning and animal control departments in the years leading up to a recent raid on her Acton, California property, where 251 dogs were discovered.
According to the Los Angeles County Department of Regional Planning, officials made 24 attempts to contact Blair over a three-year period to discuss animal welfare and code violations at her WorldHeart Foundation, a no-kill animal shelter. Blair, however, downplayed the significance of the raid, describing it as a matter of "some paperwork that has to be dealt with" and asserting that the animals were "fine." She questioned the notification process, suggesting on Instagram that "mail isn't used more often to notify somebody."
The raid, involving approximately 70 personnel from various agencies including the LA County Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC), occurred last Friday. Blair's permits to house up to 60 rescue animals reportedly expired in 2023, according to a DACC representative. Despite neighbor complaints of distressed animal sounds, no dogs were found to be sick or injured during the operation, and none were seized.
Blair, an Oscar nominee who founded the WorldHeart Foundation in 2003, is described as the primary hands-on caregiver, behaviorist, trainer, and matchmaker for adopters at the organization. A former staffer suggested Blair might be