April McLaughlin rearrested; dozens of animal abuse charges submitted to prosecutors

CHANDLER, Ariz. - April McLaughlin, the woman accused of animal abuse after dozens of dogs were found in her home, has been rearrested.

The Chandler Police Department said McLaughlin was arrested on Nov. 14 "for charges pertaining to the ongoing dog abuse investigation that began in early September."

77 misdemeanor charges were submitted to the Chandler City Prosecutor for review. That's when an arrest warrant was issued.

She was booked into jail on suspicion of animal cruelty. McLaughlin was released from jail on Thursday morning.

Latest on April McLaughlin being arrested, again

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April McLaughlin (MCSO)

Animal cruelty charges were also submitted to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office and are pending review.

No charges were listed by police regarding previous allegations against McLaughlin of elder abuse of her own mother.

Before the news of McLaughlin being rearrested, there were questions about why Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell's office forwarded charges back to Chandler Police instead of moving forward with a prosecution.

"We do not prosecute misdemeanors in the county attorney’s office unless they are committed within unincorporated areas, and of course, this happened within the city of Chandler. Every animal abuse count that was submitted to us at the time was submitted to us as a misdemeanor. There was a felony count, but it was unrelated to the animal abuse. So that’s not sufficient for us to take on the case out of the hands of the city prosecutor," Mitchell said on Oct. 18.

"It feels like a vindication …"

Butters is a paraplegic dog who was one of the 55 seized in the investigation. He’s now with his original owner.

"It was evident that she was not feeding these dogs and he was extremely underweight. He had a UTI. He had hookworm," Rebecca Arizmendi said. "His paws, he had wounds on them from dragging. She was not putting him in his wheelchair. So it was evident she completely neglected these animals. She did not care. She let them suffer."

On Nov. 15, county attorney Rachel Mitchell held her bi-weekly press conference and fielded questions about this investigation.

"We're going to take a look at it. There was some additional investigation that was done. We have to look at new information and make the decision on that," she said.

Arizmendi not only has Butters back home, but she also has Checo, who was rescued from this situation.

"It definitely feels good," Arizmendi said. "It feels like a vindication in some sort. I know that it’s far from over."

Background on the case

According to investigators, dozens of animals were found at a Chandler home on Sept. 22 in poor health and in "unbreathable" conditions, following a period of outcry that began in early August.

In all, 55 dogs were found inside McLaughlin's home, and at least five of the dogs have been euthanized.

Animal rights advocates have accused McLaughlin of preying upon other rescues who were overwhelmed and in desperate need of help. They said they thought McLaughlin could be trusted.

The Arizona Humane Society had been caring for the animals since they were removed from the home. Most of those animals have since been returned to their original rescue and are doing well.