CHANDLER, Ariz. — As police seized 55 disabled dogs from April McLaughlin’s Chandler home, she was allegedly on Instagram and texting people, according to messages obtained by 12News.
On Friday Chandler Police seized the special needs animals, along with five dead puppies in a freezer, from her home where she operated the Special Needs Animal Welfare League near Cooper and Pecos Roads.
Dogs were found inside kennels that were stacked, in some cases up to 7 feet tall, inside the two bedrooms, the kitchen, garage, living room, by the front door, bathroom, and backyard, according to court documents.
Police began looking into allegations of animal cruelty at McLaughlin’s home on Sept. 8. The Arizona Human Society (AHS) did a home visit the next day when McLaughlin was seen in the backyard, but court records said she denied AHS access to check on the dogs.
On Sept. 12, McLaughlin let AHS personnel into her home. They noticed an odor of urine and feces and an extreme ammonia smell. While McLaughlin kept the doors closed during the visit, some animals in the backyard had “exposed raw skin due to dragging, and some without water,” arresting documents said.
AHS tells 12News McLaughlin surrendered two dogs to them during a follow-up visit on Sept. 19. That would make a total of 57 dogs she had at her home, not including the deceased animals found in the freezer and others that according to court records, she took to her veterinarian for them to dispose of.
Texting and on social media
In the days leading to the seizure, Jill Marsh said she was communicating with McLaughlin or Taylor McKinley, that’s the name she knew her by. Marsh is the President of Bella Vita for Dogs and Horses, a California rescue. She said McLaughlin found her work and offered to foster or take in disabled dogs to adopt.
In May McLaughin took in Pierre, a French bulldog that was blind and had other special needs. Marsh said with time, McLaughlin stopped giving her medical updates. She kept insisting and stayed in contact with her until AHS went to her home.
“They took two dogs and she said, ‘I’m really scared, next time they’re going to come and take five dogs,’” Marsh said. “[McLaughlin] said ‘Jill I’m so connected with these dogs.’”
Marsh said McLaughlin told her she was instructed to take three dogs to the vet and send their records to AHS, but she allegedly “got in trouble” because “she only did the minimum and didn’t do the x-rays she was told to do.”
During Friday’s seizure, Marsh said “She was texting me how much trouble she was in while she was in handcuffs. The last text I got from her was at 9 o’clock at night. She was actually on Instagram while they were searching her house.”
In text messages shared with 12News McLaughlin allegedly wrote “bad,” “warrant,” and “arrest” in three separate messages when Marsh asked her what was happening.
At 8:11 p.m., about two hours into the execution of the search warrant, McLaughlin allegedly texted “It’s bad” about the situation. Another text message read “My bedrooms are bad” and “they will arrest.”
Marsh asked her if there were dead dogs in the home, McLaughlin responded with an Instagram screenshot from Marsh’s Instagram account where she posted a picture of the outside of the raid.
“I think she was in her car,” Marsh told 12News. “No remorse. Her tone never changed with me. She never acted sad about anything over time.”
Continue requesting dogs, weeks before the seizure
Jill Marsh drove nine hours from California to Phoenix with Nancy Jimeno, founder of Ozzie and Friends Rescue. They brought kennels in their van, hoping to be able to take back some of the disabled dogs they gave to McLaughlin.
12News has spoken to multiple rescues who said McLaughlin misled them and got the animals under “false pretenses.” They all believed she would do right by them.
At the start of the month, Jimeno said McLaughlin asked her to get a paralyzed French Bulldog from a California shelter, but she declined.
“Someone else got the dog for her, and sent it to her,” Jimeno said. That was the last time she spoke to her. Days later Chandler police began investigating the animal cruelty allegations.
“I’ve never met someone who is so evil and just ruthless,” Jimeno said. “[She] would bring in dogs, let them rot, be sick and suffer, and let them die. That was [her] process and solution.”
Why did the seizure didn’t happen sooner?
The Arizona Humane Society tells 12News that after their visit on Sept. 12, McLaughlin was cooperative and took some of the dogs to get vet care like she was asked.
Because of that, AHS said they couldn’t take the dogs away. While Arizona has an animal cruelty state law, Title 13.2910, section 2 is what limits them.
The law states, “a person commits cruelty to animals if the person does any of the following” and lists several scenarios. Number two on the list says cruelty is considered if “intentionally, knowingly or recklessly fails to provide medical attention necessary to prevent protracted suffering to any animal under the person’s custody or control.”
Since McLaughlin agreed and did take some of the dogs to a vet, this law wouldn’t necessarily apply, AHS told 12News.
Another hurdle AHS said they faced was Chandler’s city laws or the lack of an ordinance that states animals can be seized for lack of medical treatment.
A city spokesperson told 12News it’s too early to say if the law will be changed, but the issue may be included in the Oct. 19 city council meeting. That would be the earliest it can be discussed to be changed.
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