Arizona Humane Society reunites dogs from Chandler home
Rachel Mitchell and the Arizona Humane Society reunited dogs from the Chandler house of horrors and promoted an animal cruelty bill on Jan. 16, 2024.
A Cochise County woman was arrested Monday on suspicion of 146 charges of animal cruelty and neglect, according to the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office.
Jill Houchens, 56, was arrested on 27 felony counts and 119 misdemeanor counts, officials said. There were a total of 24 animals removed from her home including five who were dead and several that required medical attention, according to the sheriff’s office.
Officials said Houchens was reportedly known to operate an animal rescue and pet sit for people in and around Cochise County.
A spokesperson from the Sheriff’s Office told The Arizona Republic that Jill Houchens was previously employed by the Cochise County Sherriff’s Office but has not been employed by them for over six and a half years. They told The Arizona Republic she runs her own “‘rescue’ called Zoeys Ranch” and “pulls from Sierra Vista Shelter.”
The Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation on Feb. 6 after it received a report of animal cruelty at Houchens’s residence. The Sheriff’s Office said the initial report indicated there were several animals on the property and “significant unsanitary conditions” inside and outside of the home.
Officials said animal control officers and sheriff deputies served a warrant on Feb. 9. Upon entry into the home they found several neglected animals living in poor conditions, officials into the home. Officials said areas where animals were kept were filled with feces and there was no clean area for the animals to stand. There was also little to no water left out and no food available.
The initial report also indicated there were dead animals inside the freezer.
The investigation was still ongoing as of Thursday, according to the Sherrif’s Office.
Chandler also had a significant animal abuse case in 2023 at the home of April McLaughlin, who was charged with five counts of animal abuse, 55 counts of animal cruelty and one count of vulnerable adult abuse.
In 2023, the Arizona Humane Society received the most service inquiries for animal abuse, reflecting a 22% increase in calls for service and a 21% increase in investigations compared with 2022’s numbers.
