Arizona woman arrested after 55 dogs rescued from home in rancid conditions

An Arizona woman running a shelter for special needs dogs was arrested after 55 pooches were rescued from her home amid rancid conditions — with some needing to be euthanized and others canines found already dead and stuffed in the freezer.

April Mclaughlin was booked Friday night as police raided her Chandler home to find dozens of dogs living in their own feces with no water. The odor was so foul that firefighters were called in with special breathing equipment to search for the poor pooches, CBS 5 reports.

During the search, police also found dead dogs stuffed into a freezer, which was stored near the food for the other animals.

The animals were being kept in the home as part of the Special Needs Animal Welfare League, a shelter Mclaughlin ran that faced allegations of neglect and mistreatment.

Officials began investigating the matter on Sept. 8, when a veterinary professional reached out to them about the condition of three dogs being kept in Mclaughlin’s home.

Chandler Police then set out to rescue the animals on Sept. 22 but were immediately stopped by the foul odor that greeted them inside the house, prompting a call for firefighters.

“We wanted to ensure there weren’t hazardous fumes occurring at the residence with first responders inside a very small home, so that’s why they were requested to ensure that everybody was safe inside the home,” Chandler Police Sgt. Emma Huenneke told reporters.

As of Saturday, a total of 55 dogs were rescued from the home, which has now been condemned, police said. Mclaughlin’s mother was also removed from the dilapidated home.

Officers noted in court records that some of the rescued dogs had trouble barking, with some found covered in tarps or in wire crates stacked on top of each other.

Officials said many of the dogs were found in such poor condition that they may need to be euthanized.

Mclaughlin has denied the allegations levied against her shelter, and she told police during an interview that there was nothing wrong with how she stored the bodies of the dead dogs near the food.

Mclaughlin was charged with 110 misdemeanors, including two counts for each animal abuse allegation. She was also charged with one count of vulnerable adult abuse.

She is currently being held in the Maricopa County Jail on a $2,500 cash bond.