Sister of homeless woman charged with animal cruelty says it was a tragic mistake

A family member of the homeless woman arrested in connection with the death of a dog found burned in a shopping cart spoke only to ABC-7 to say the incident was a tragic mistake.

On Jan. 23, detectives with the Animal Cruelty Unit responded to a call on the 1500 block of George Dieter after witnesses found the burning shopping cart.

Police said the witnesses put out the flames, and found the dog dead in the shopping cart.

Lori Jean Pollard, 38, allegedly lit a candle in the cart to keep the dog warm, when the contents of the cart went up in flames along with the dog, resulting in the animal’s death.

Lori’s twin sister, Erin Pollard, told ABC-7 that she learned about Lori’s arrest from an article a friend sent her. She said the last time she saw Lori was for lunch in Boise, Idaho, where the two lived, in October.

” I had found her an apartment,” said Erin. “She got mad at me, and stormed out of lunch. She was like, ‘I’m not going to talk about it,’ and she just left when we were done eating.”

Erin said she believe Lori had been homeless for about one month, and was searching for comfort in a familiar place.

“She walked and hitchhiked from Boise to El Paso, I think, in hopes to find family and friends,” said Erin.

The sisters grew up in east El Paso. Both are graduates of Hanks High School, class of 1998. Erin said her sister was staying near a church the family used to attend.

“She’s not a mean person,” said Erin. “She’s one of the most loving people that I know. She’s so wonderful with animals. She cares very, very deeply for people and things. She has a love for God that just won’t quit. I just want people to know that, that we’re trying to help her.”

On a Go Fund Me page for Lori, Erin said the dog was paralyzed, which is why it couldn’t escape to safety, and that Lori “seems to refuse to believe the dog has died.”

Lori was booked into the El Paso Detention Facility with a bond of $8,500.

She is set to appear in court for a bond hearing Wednesday.

Click here for the Go Fund Me page.