McLaughlin was arrested on Sept. 22 for 110 counts of animal cruelty and abuse, along with one count of vulnerable adult abuse for allegedly mistreating her elderly mother. She was released on Sept. 27, and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office sent the case back to the Chandler Police Department for further investigation.
In total, 55 living dogs and five deceased puppies were removed from McLaughlin’s home by Chandler police officers. Most of the animals were in need of immediate medical attention due to various injuries, and five were humanely euthanized by the Arizona Humane Society.
“The conditions of some of these dogs were the worst I have ever seen,” AHS CEO Dr. Steve Hansen told ABC15. “It actually took my breath away. There were tears inside of the hospital.”
Kiska, one of the dogs rescued from McLaughlin’s home, embarked on a long journey back to an Alaskan rescue group, AHS told Phoenix New Times. Two other dogs, Jackson and Hopper, found their way back to California-based Bella Vita Rescue.
Ordeal far from over for remaining dogs
On Oct. 2, a petition to take custody of 47 of the 55 dogs police confiscated from McLaughlin’s home was filed with the Chandler Municipal Court. Oddly, it wasn’t McLaughlin’s name on the paperwork.
Court documents reviewed by New Times listed Sydney McKinley as the petitioner. McKinley’s address matched that of McLaughlin’s Chandler home. An Oct. 4 statement from AHS about the petition cited McLaughlin as the petitioner and makes no mention of McKinley.
Social media activists involved in the case have called McLaughlin's residence a "house of horrors." They also claim that McLaughlin used more than 16 different aliases to collect dogs for a purported rescue she ran out of her home called the Special Needs Animal Welfare League. In 2019, Inside Edition interviewed McLaughlin, who, at the time, used the name April Addison.
"The dogs were everything to her," McLaughlin’s mother, told Fox 10 Phoenix. "I understand she had a lot of dogs, and each dog represented a certain amount of money, so the more dogs she had, the more money she was getting."
The court hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, but it’s anyone’s guess as to whether it will be McLaughlin or McKinley pleading their case.
The exterior of April McLaughlin's home in Chandler where police seized 55 dogs on Sept. 22.
Serena O'Sullivan
Legal tug of war
The petition adds yet another layer to the ongoing legal battle over who owns the seized dogs. On Sept. 27, three organizations filed suit against AHS: Arizona rescues Handover Rover and the Be Like Josh Foundation, as well as Texas nonprofit Yaqui Animal Rescue. Seven additional dog owners also are part of the lawsuit, which was filed in Maricopa County Superior Court.
The suit alleged that time was of the essence since the dogs had complex medical needs. Waiting for a judge to hammer out custody details and leaving the suffering dogs in the crowded AHS kennels wasn't an option.
Be Like Josh Foundation allegedly reached out to AHS to help take care of the dogs.
"In order to diagnose the medical issues with these dogs, medical tests must be performed," the lawsuit said. "Be Like Josh has those capabilities and has the funding to perform that testing and to care for the dogs."
The lawsuit described AHS as being uncooperative with Be Like Josh and not providing any information about the health, safety or whereabouts of any of the dogs.
However, in a statement provided to New Times, AHS said it was legally obligated to maintain confidentiality.
“We continue to follow direction from Chandler PD to not release additional details about the dogs in our care. AHS is not law enforcement. We operate within the law and must adhere to the 10-day mandatory hold of these animals while allowing the legal process to unfold,” AHS said in a written statement on Sept. 28.
