Animal cruelty charges spur calls for official’s resignation in Pennsylvania county
WASHINGTON — Residents in a western Pennsylvania county are calling for the resignation of an official who is facing felony animal cruelty charges after authorities say her dog starved to death.
Washington County Controller April Sloane, 43, was arrested last week at her county office. North Strabane police filed the charges after a necropsy of her dog, Thor, showed the animal died of “severe emaciation” and weighed only 20 pounds, less than half of what its weight should have been.
According to court documents, Sloane’s 14-year-old son told police that he asked his mother to take Thor to a veterinarian, but she refused. Officials say an emergency veterinary clinic is located less than 500 feet from Sloane’s house.
Authorities allege the dog was neglected from Nov. 1 until its death on Nov. 27.