Woman charged with felony for threatening arson and murder of animal shelter employees

PHOENIX — A woman who threatened to tie up and set fire to Maricopa County Animal Care and Control (MCACC) employees is being charged with a felony.

The woman, 37-year-old Katie Michelle Dickson, turned herself into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in early September.

“Threats of this nature are unacceptable, and we will do everything in our power to protect staff and hold bad actors accountable,” Maricopa County Board Chairman Thomas Galvin said in a press release.

Court documents show Dickson made 18 calls in 40 minutes to MCACC on June 26.

The calls, which were recorded, were filled with threats of arson, murder and sexual violence toward employees.

Dickson was bonded out of jail and is due back in court on Oct. 21. She is a resident of Vancouver, Wash.

“We have zero tolerance for this type of behavior, and we will continue to work to ensure those responsible are held accountable,” Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan said in the release.

“The safety of our staff is our top priority, and we take any threats against our team members very seriously,” Director of MCACC Debbie McKnight said.

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