CHANDLER, AZ — An estimated 55 dogs were removed from a Chandler home amid an animal abuse investigation.
Chandler police confirmed Saturday that the Arizona Humane Society is taking custody of the dogs after police served a search warrant on a home, where police say a woman, identified as April McLaughlin, runs an animal rescue called Special Needs Animal Welfare League (SNAWL).
A search warrant was obtained for the home, located near Cooper and Pecos roads, after a veterinarian contacted police Friday with additional medical information they did not previously know.
Officials say many of the dogs are special needs dogs. Court documents say that the majority of the dogs inside were in need of immediate medical attention due to various injuries and the majority either dragged themselves to get around or shook due to neurological issues.
Court paperwork states that in addition to the 55 dogs that were removed from the home, an additional five deceased puppies were found in the freezer.
McLaughlin originally faced 111 charges in relation to this case; 110 charges related to animal abuse and neglect and one for vulnerable adult abuse.
On Wednesday, September 27, McLaughlin was released from jail and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office sent the case back to the Chandler Police Department for further investigation.
The Chandler Police Department posted a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Tuesday prior to the search warrant. Officials say they have been investigating the situation for about two weeks.
— Chandler Police (@ChandlerPolice) September 20, 2023
According to court documents, police had been receiving calls regarding the rescue since September 8.
Conditions inside the home
On September 9, the Arizona Humane Society attempted a welfare check on the animals.
At the home, AHS noticed the smell of urine and feces near the front door and noticed a large cluster of flies near the front door, according to court documents.
ABC15 spoke to neighbors, who said the smell was so horrible that they ended up getting a lot of flies.
"I've never smelled anything like that before. The smell was awful, and the sound of the barking dogs, now I know those dogs were in there screaming and crying," said Antonia Martinez.
On multiple trips to the home, AHS reported the dogs to be in poor health, including potential neurological concerns, open wounds and kennel cough.
"Our challenge at the Humane Society is we're not peace officers. We have to follow all the guidelines as a regular civilian. If an owner does not allow us on a property, we'd have to respect that," said Tracey Miiller, director of field operations with the Arizona Humane Society. "She would not let us on the property until the 12. [That] was the first time we made entrance."
According to court documents, a veterinarian advised that some of the dogs needed "more immediate follow up due to the severity of their injuries," some needed amputations of the legs or the tail, and the majority of the dogs that McLaughlin brings to the clinic are paralyzed in some capacity. Veterinary records were provided to police for additional dogs, including some that were deceased.
Police obtained a search warrant after receiving this information. When officers arrived at the home, the fire department also responded to test the air quality. Firefighters needed to dress in a self-contained breathing apparatus to enter the home due to how poor the air quality was, according to court documents.
Inside the home, court documents say officers found several crates stacked with animals inside who were sitting or laying on puppy pads and towels that were caked with urine and feces. It also appeared that none of the dogs had access to water.
Court documents say all rooms of the home were occupied by dogs.
McLaughlin told investigators that she believed she was at the start of a hoarding problem and had taken on too many dogs, according to court documents.
She also said she had been running the rescue for a year but did not adopt any of the dogs out.
Animal cruelty ordinances
Miiller says the case in Chandler was particularly difficult because of the city ordinances on animal cruelty.
“Because we could not seize under a hoarding ordinance or request seizure under a hoarding ordinance or for lack of medical care,” said Miiller.
Evan Tompkins, an attorney at JacksonWhite Law, a Mesa law office that’s overseen animal cruelty cases, says Chandler does have an animal cruelty ordinance, but it’s not as specific as other cities around it.
“I think just reading the report, reading the news, you know that minimum care was not met. So, there was a different avenue, state statute and city ordinance,” Tompkins said. “They could’ve used the state statute. Why they choose not to, why Chandler PD chose not to, I’m not privy to. But there was a tool to be used.”
When looking at the ordinance for the City of Chandler, there’s a section about cruelty to animals. Compared to the City of Phoenix, there is much more detailed information regarding hoarding, keeping animals outside in certain temperatures and more.
The state statute is also more detailed than Chandler’s ordinance, which Tompkins said state law supersedes city ordinances.
He added that police do need to have probable cause that a crime has been committed to author a search warrant Friday. He’s seen animal cruelty cases where a search warrant was issued within the same day.
“I don’t know the specifics, so I don’t want to say they for sure didn’t have it right away but reading what happened, it’s pretty harrowing to think that, we saw some dogs that were sick. We smelled death and yet, they didn’t have enough? I think that’s kind of hard to believe,” he said.
Facing additional charges for vulnerable adult abuse
Police were also aware that McLaughlin's mother lived in the home and potentially was not able to take care of herself.
McLaughlin's mother was found on the couch in the home and according to court documents, she had moved in with her daughter in 2020 and shortly after suffered a stroke.
Court documents state that McLaughlin has control of her mother's finances and did not provide a phone for her.
Police learned that McLaughlin's mother sleeps on the couch since the bedrooms are occupied by dogs. Court documents state she had not slept on a bed in three years.
Police also found that there had been insufficient food in the home. Court documents say McLaughlin told investigators that her mother had access to food in the fridge and the freezer and did not believe there was anything wrong with storing food next to the dead animals that were inside the freezer.
McLaughlin was taken into custody and was being booked for animal neglect and cruelty, according to Chandler Police. She is also facing a charge of vulnerable adult abuse.
What's next?
The home has since been boarded up and the doors have been bolted, according to court documents.
The animals will be in the care of the Arizona Humane Society for at least 10 days. Miller said the conditions of the dogs range from no issues at all to being in severe condition.
On Tuesday, Sept. 26, the AHS released the following statement to ABC15, saying five of the rescued dogs had to be euthanized:
The Arizona Humane Society is working with the Chandler Police Department and the Maricopa County Attorney General’s office. Our desire is to not interfere with the legal process to ensure justice is served while, at the same time, provide rescue groups with information to bring closure.
Sadly, in addition to the five dogs that were found in a freezer at the residence, I can also confirm five dogs from the group of 55 seized were humanely put to sleep. These dogs were suffering horrifically. If a microchip is present, we will contact the last known rescue group to return the ashes. The remaining dogs are still being cared for by our veterinary staff. As a reminder, the majority of these animals were in need of medical attention. We remain cautious, but hopeful, while establishing prognosis and therefore outcomes.
Miiller said McLaughlin has the opportunity to ask for a seizure hearing in the city courts within 10 days and a judge will decide if the owner is fit to have the animals back. If McLaughlin does not ask for a seizure hearing, the courts will release the animals to the organization.
On Oct. 2, AHS released another statement to ABC15 after learning McLaughlin requested a hearing:
We are saddened by the news April McLaughlin requested a hearing in response to the 55 dogs seized from her property on September 22. As the legal process unfolds, the dogs will remain with the Arizona Humane Society. Since we have not been granted custody of these animals, we are not allowed to return them to former rescue groups or release them from our supervision. Our primary focus remains on the care of these dogs. Our kennel capacity remains at a code red, and we are asking for the community’s help to foster, adopt and donate.
This incident remains under investigation.