Jan 17, 2024 By Mike Jones 3 min read

A dozen protesters holding handmade signs packed the courtroom for Washington County Controller April Sloane’s preliminary hearing Tuesday on felony charges that she neglected her dog, Thor, and caused the animal’s death in late November.

But Sloane didn’t physically attend the proceeding at Central Court inside the Washington County Courthouse, and instead participated through video conferencing in which she asked her attorney to waive the case to court.

District Judge James Saieva Jr. agreed to the waiver after briefly speaking to Sloane, who appeared by video on her defense attorney’s electronic tablet while she was sitting inside her county office across the street at Courthouse Square. That meant Sloane couldn’t see the people gathered inside and outside of the courtroom holding signs that read, “Justice 4 Thor” and “There Is No Excuse For Animal Abuse!!!”

“Animals don’t have a voice,” said Les Subrick, who attended the hearing. “Who’s going to speak for them?”

Sloane was arrested Dec. 12 after North Strabane police said she neglected Thor and kept the animal in “deplorable conditions” inside her township home, leading to its death. Police said the dog went days without food and water before it died Nov. 27. The Washington Area Humane Society was alerted of the situation on Dec. 5 and then notified North Strabane police, which searched her home the following day and found the animal’s carcass stuffed in a trash bag located in the corner of her garage, according to court documents.

Sloane allegedly told officers that the dog had died “due to not being properly cared for.” A necropsy was conducted by PA Animal Diagnostic Laboratory System, which concluded the animal died from “severe emaciation” and weighed only 20 pounds, according to court documents

Sloane, 43, has been free on $150,000 unsecured bond since she was charged with two felony counts of animal cruelty and one misdemeanor charge of neglecting an animal by failing to provide veterinary care. She has remained in office and rebuffed calls from numerous county officials demanding she resign. But since Sloane has not been convicted, there is little that can be done unless Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro would move for removal with the approval of two-thirds of the Republican-controlled state Senate.

That lack of immediate accountability allowing Sloane to keep her job is what concerned AC Rowland, who attended as a protester.

“I try to be an advocate in our town,” Rowland said. “I’m a firm believer if we don’t stand up and speak out, who will? Let’s address this and make sure they don’t sweep it under the rug.”

The Republican was elected to office in 2021 and her four-year term runs through the end of 2025. The county controller serves as the chief financial oversight officer overseeing county funds and various government offices.