Described by prosecutors as a well-intentioned woman who got carried away with her cause, Noah's Ark Animal Rescue owner Alexia Tiraki-Kyrklund, 39, is scheduled to be charged with misdemeanor license and zoning violations, in addition to the 13 felonies. Each felony carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison.

"Our take on this is that she really just took on more than she could handle," said Deputy District Attorney Michael Tranbarger. "A reasonable person would realize that (the animals) were being neglected."

Reached by phone on Thursday, Tiraki-Kyrklund seemed unfazed by news of the charges and said her focus was, as it has always been, on finding homes for unwanted pets.

"It's always going to be about the animals," she said. "I am truly, truly not concerned about any charges against me."

The charges stem from an Aug. 23 raid at Noah's Ark, 1333 Redondo Ave., in which city officials seized 299 dogs and cats from allegedly deplorable conditions.

According to Animal Control Lt. Michelle Quigley, the animals were found in various stages of suffering. Many, she said, had overgrown nails cutting into their flesh, skin conditions, respiratory infections and fur coated in urine and feces. The building was so hot it was hard to breathe inside, she said, and many animals were running amok.

One of the worst cases involved an emaciated, dehydrated cat that had to be euthanized. Its coat was matted with feces, Quigley said, and officers could not clean it without pulling the skin from its body.

Eleven of the felony counts will refer specifically to nine dogs and two cats, Tranbarger said. The remaining two counts will relate to all 299 animals seized.

The misdemeanor code violations will relate to the shelter's business license and zoning requirements, according to Noel Hacegaba, a spokesman for the city prosecutor's office.

Tiraki-Kyrklund's arrest in August ignited an outcry in Long Beach and beyond, and her supporters already have accused city officials of raiding the shelter illegally, lying about the animals' conditions and vilifying a woman who was merely trying to give unwanted pets a second chance at life.

They established a group called the Noah's Ark Justice Committee to "secure the release of innocent pets that were confiscated by the city of Long Beach" and "disseminate the truth to the public."

And several shelter volunteers filed a $1 million claim for damages against the city in October, accusing officials of using excessive force during the daylong seizure.

Quigley called the allegations "preposterous" and said the city's every action was mandated by the animals' poor health.

As further representation of the city's dedication to saving the animals, officials vowed to place all Noah's Ark animals into suitable homes, no matter how long it took.

As of Thursday, the city had managed to place more than 100 of those animals, Quigley said, but 69 dogs and 119 cats are still awaiting homes.

Noah's Ark, a nonprofit agency established in 1994, opened the Redondo Avenue location in mid-2005. According to the agency's Web site, the shelter has saved hundreds of elderly and injured pets that previously were scheduled for euthanasia by government-owned shelters - mostly in Los Angeles.

On Thursday, Tiraki-Kyrklund questioned why it took three months to charge her with a crime.

"With all the money that they've spent," she said, "they have to charge somebody."