Washington County Controller April Sloane, 43, has pleaded guilty to felony animal cruelty in connection with the death of her dog, Thor. The plea deal, reached with prosecutors, spares her jail time but requires her to resign from her position by the end of the month.
Details of the Animal Cruelty Case
Sloane entered the plea in county court on Thursday, admitting to causing the death of her dog by failing to provide food or water for several days leading up to its death on November 27. Thor, who weighed less than half of what he should have, died of severe emaciation, according to a necropsy report.
Prosecutors said Sloane declined to take Thor to a veterinarian, despite living less than 500 feet from an emergency veterinary clinic. The dog’s body was discovered stuffed in a garbage bag in Sloane’s garage when authorities served a search warrant at her home on December 6.
Plea Agreement and Sentencing
Sloane, who had been scheduled for trial this week, reached a plea agreement before a pre-trial conference. As part of the deal, she pleaded guilty to 3rd-degree felony aggravated animal cruelty, will serve five years’ probation, and must resign from her role as county controller by September 30.
Neither Sloane nor her attorney, Louis Emmi, provided comments to the media after the court proceedings.
Political and Community Reactions
Sloane, a Republican, was elected in November 2021 to serve as Washington County’s controller, a term that was originally set to run through 2025. Her resignation marks an abrupt end to her tenure, following public outrage over the mistreatment and death of her pet.
