April McLaughlin is accused of deceiving dog owners and rescue groups across the country to hoard dogs with special needs and collect donations.
CHANDLER, Ariz. — The Chandler woman accused of neglecting and mistreating over 50 dogs has now been indicted on fraud charges in addition to the felony animal and vulnerable adult abuse charges she was already facing.
In September of 2023, Chandler police seized dozens of dogs from the home of 48-year-old Sydney McKinley, better known as April McLaughlin.
Officers allegedly found the animals living in terrible conditions. Some of the seized dogs later had to be euthanized because of poor health.
She is accused of deceiving dog owners and rescue groups across the country in order to take possession of special needs dogs. Police now say her rescue organization, Special Needs Animal Welfare League, was used to solicit over $47,000 in cash and supplies under false pretenses as well as acquiring more animals.
Investigators claim that she also stole over $160,000 from her elderly mother’s bank account and had over $20,000 in charges on her mother’s credit card.
According to police, those funds were used for personal expenses like home costs, flights and dining.
McLaughlin has now also been indicted on felony charges of theft, identity theft, fraudulent schemes, willful concealment, theft using power of attorney and credit card theft.
McLaughlin was already facing up to 24 counts of animal neglect and mistreatment — at least eight of the charges are listed as felony offenses, court records show. She is still in custody as legal proceedings continue.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
12News on YouTube
Catch up on the latest news and stories on our 12News YouTube playlist here.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
