May 2, 2024 By Mike Jones 3 min read

The trial date has been set for Washington County Controller April Sloane, who is accused of neglecting her dog and causing its starvation death in November.

During a status conference Tuesday in Washington County Court of Common Pleas, Judge John DiSalle scheduled a June 10 trial for Sloane, who is facing two felony counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and one misdemeanor charge of animal neglect.

Also during Tuesday’s proceeding, Sloane’s defense attorney, Louis Emmi, asked that DiSalle recuse himself from presiding over the case, which the judge denied after hearing oral arguments.

It’s not known whether any issues could delay the trial from happening in June, which is less than six months after Sloane was charged on Dec. 12 by North Strabane police in connection with the death of her dog, Thor, after his carcass was discovered in her garage.

“The commonwealth is ready,” Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh said of the prosecution’s ability to proceed with the case. “That’s all I can say. We’re ready to go.”

Thor died on Nov. 27, but authorities weren’t notified of the dog’s death until more than a week later when an anonymous tip was sent to the Washington Area Humane Society, according to court documents. A necropsy revealed that the dog died of “severe emaciation” and weighed only 20 pounds with 0% body fat. There were no signs of illness or injuries that could have caused the animal’s death, according to the necropsy.

Police said they found Thor’s carcass wrapped in a garbage bag placed in the back corner of the basement garage of Sloane’s townhouse in North Strabane when officers searched her Meadowbrook Drive residence on Dec. 6.

Investigators said Sloane’s 14-year-old son asked his mother if they could take Thor to a veterinarian when the animal stopped drinking water and could no longer stand, but she allegedly refused to seek medical care for the dog, according to court documents. Police wrote in charging papers that Sloane admitted to officers that the dog had died “due to not being properly cared for.”

Sloane, 43, was arrested Dec. 12 while working in her county government office and arraigned on the charges later that day. She waived the case to court during her Jan. 16 preliminary hearing, in which she participated through video conferencing rather than attending in person as a dozen of animal welfare protesters packed the courtroom.

Sloane is free on $150,000 unsecured bond, and has refused to resign her position as controller, which acts as the chief financial oversight officer overseeing county funds, despite bipartisan calls from other elected officials and both local political parties. The Republican was elected controller in November 2021, and her term is scheduled to run until January 2026.

Emmi, who is serving as Sloane’s defense attorney, did not respond to a phone message Wednesday seeking comment on if he believes the trial will begin on schedule during the June court term, or whether it will be delayed.