Dozens of malnourished dogs and special needs rescue dogs have been rescued in Arizona after being subjected to squalid conditions and allegedly abused by their handlers.
April McLaughlin was arrested on Friday evening after a raid by police officers who were forced to put on hazmat suits to enter the house where 55 dogs had been kept because of the overwhelming smell.
The conditions proved so atrocious that McLaughlin even resorted to storing the bodies of dead dogs in her freezer.
Five dead puppies were found in the freezer right next to a supply of frozen microwave food.
Chandler police conducted the raid after receiving information from a veterinarian on Sept. 8 about the condition of three dogs kept at the home.
The Arizona Humane Society is on scene as the Chandler Police Department seized more than 50 special needs pets, many of which required immediate medical attention
April McLaughlin is currently in the Maricopa County Jail facing 110 counts of cruelty to animals and cruelty to animals
At first glance, officers are seen trying to grasp what is in front of them
The rescue in question is called Special Needs Animal Welfare League. Other rescuers had previously requested an investigation because they feared the entire facility was a fraud.
A Texas rescue reportedly sent a dog named Butters to Chandler Rescue, but when the team saw pictures of the disabled dog looking thin, they became concerned and went looking.
In fact, officers had visited the home in the past as the home had been used as an animal rescue facility – but it turned out that all of the dogs were in need of rescue.
When officers first arrived on scene, they were so overwhelmed by the fumes that they required the help of the hazardous materials team.
Police conducted a raid that required them to wear protective suits to enter the house
A member of the police team can be seen petting a dog that is barking frantically
Some of the more than 50 dogs bark while kept behind locked cages
Officers are seen donning hazmat protective gear before venturing into the home
Dogs can be seen throughout the residence, some behind metal cages
Some dogs were found to be living outside without adequate shelter
The poor treatment of the animals had already been brought to the attention of other rescuers in the past
“We wanted to make sure there were no dangerous fumes in the apartment because the first responders were in a very small house. So they were asked to make sure everyone in the house was safe,” said Chandler Police Sgt. Emma Huenneke.
By the early hours of Saturday morning, a total of 55 dogs had been removed from McLaughlin’s home.
After McLaughlin’s arrest Friday night, she was charged with multiple charges, including 55 counts of animal abuse, 55 counts of animal cruelty and one count of vulnerable adult abuse, with McLaughlin’s elderly 83-year-old mother also living at the home.
The mother requested that her daughter be released from prison immediately.
This is the home of April Addison where 55 dogs were removed from the property
April Addison is seen in a video leaving her home in Chandler, Arizona with a dog
Officers can be seen wearing face masks and protective suits during the raid
Some members of the hazmat team had to carry oxygen tanks on their backs
McLaughlin appeared in court on Saturday, after which prosecutors told a judge how the dogs were found in squalid living conditions, with some living in dirt and their own feces, with no access to water and many likely having to be euthanized.
According to authorities, the air quality in the house was so bad that firefighters had to wear special breathing apparatus. The house itself has to be demolished.
Although they had received tips about the home in the past, Friday night’s search was the first time officers had entered the address after they were able to obtain a search warrant.
A video shows a dog being kept at the Addison “rescue center,” where the dogs were in “deplorable” condition
Other owners managed to track down some of the dogs that had been left in Addison’s care
Another of the 55 dogs was apparently rescued by Chandler police and the Arizona Humane Society
Almost all of the dogs in the house were mixed breeds and dogs with special needs
Many of the dogs had trouble barking, were covered with tarps, and some were kept in stacked wire crates.
McLaughlin admitted to police that she had stored deceased dogs in the freezer along with food, but did not believe it was wrong.
She is currently being held in the Maricopa County Jail on a $2,500 bond and is facing a total of 110 misdemeanors, two counts each of animal abuse: one for cruelty/neglect and abandonment and a second for failure to provide medical treatment.