Overview
- A Maricopa County judge ordered a 3.5-year prison term with credit for time served, leaving roughly two years to serve.
- The sentence includes seven years of supervised probation, a lifetime ban on owning animals, and at least $173,000 in restitution, including $124,000 to her mother, with prison terms running concurrently.
- April McLaughlin pleaded guilty in December to fraud-related offenses and two counts of intentionally mistreating a domestic animal under a deal that dismissed other charges.
- Authorities in 2023 removed about 55–60 special-needs dogs from her Chandler home, found multiple dead dogs in freezers, and later said some rescued animals had to be euthanized.
- The Arizona Humane Society took custody of the dogs for reunification and rehoming efforts, and the case prompted Chandler ordinance changes and passage of SB 1658, known as “Jerry’s Law.”