Woman with 81 cats charged with animal cruelty

A Bluff City woman who was found keeping 81 cats in squalid conditions has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty.

Lisa Shuttle will serve three years of probation on three counts of aggravated animal cruelty. The other 78 counts were dropped in the plea bargain.

The 44-year-old Shuttle must also undergo a mental evaluation, follow any recommendations of the evaluators and perform 150 hours of community service work.

Sheriff's officials seized the animals in April, living in filth in an abandoned store beside Shuttle's home. Others were in a wire cage on her porch.

Shuttle must also repay more than $8,000 to Friends of the Sullivan County Animal Shelter for nursing the cats back to health.