Walton Woman Arrested for Alleged Animal Cruelty

WALTON — Sheriff Craig DuMond announced the arrest of a Walton woman on animal cruelty charges. 

On January 06, 2025, Sheriff’s Deputies began an investigation into the abuse and failure to provide substance of multiple cats living in a residence. The owner was advised to begin to show improvement and get the animals treatment and was provided with contacts for local humane societies and veterinary clinics.  The owner failed to make any attempts to improve the living conditions and health of approximately 70 cats at her residence.  During the course of the investigation, the majority of the animals were voluntarily surrendered to a third party.  Deputies were assisted by the Heart of the Catskills Humane Society and the Delhi Veterinary Hospital in Delhi  to ensure the proper care of the animals.  As part of the investigation, it was also determined that multiple cats had died from the failure to provide proper sustenance and veterinary care prior to and during the investigation. 

On February 24, 2025, Sheriffs Deputies arrested Gail Kutler, age 66, of Walton for 5 counts of aggravated cruelty to animals, all class E felonies, and 60 counts of animal cruelty – failure to provide proper sustenance, class A misdemeanors. 

Kutler was transferred to the Delaware County Correctional Facility where she was held for centralized arraignment, scheduled to appear at a later date in the Town of Walton Court.

The Delaware County Sheriffs Office would like to extend their profound thanks and appreciation to the Heart of the Catskills Humane Society for their assistance in removing and caring for the victim animals.  Further, we encourage the public to consider fostering/adopting these defenseless animals once they are nursed back to good health.