April McLaughlin sentenced for animal abuse | FOX 10 Phoenix

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0 January 15, 2026 17:32

April McLaughlin, a woman who was at the center of a high-profile animal cruelty case out of Chandler, has been sentenced.

FOX 10 Investigator Justin Lum has learned that April McLaughlin has been sentenced to 3.5 years in prison, with credit for time already served. She will also be put on a seven-year probation following her release, and is not allowed to have any animals.

McLaughlin ran a rescue for special needs dogs before allegations of fraud and animal abuse surfaced in 2023. The 50-year-old had two cases against her—one for animal cruelty charges and another for fraud and theft.

One of the alleged victims is her elderly mother, who was living in McLaughlin’s home in September 2023 when authorities discovered 55 special needs dogs living in their own waste, as well as five dead dogs in a freezer. Investigators described the situation as a biohazard with "unbreathable" conditions.

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