Andrea Mikkel Noah’s Ark Case

The worst case of animal hoarding Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies say they’ve ever seen

Accused ‘Noah’s Ark‘ animal hoarder released – A woman accused the worst case of animal hoarding Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputies say they’ve ever seen was released from jail after posting bond. Andrea Mikkel, a former police officer, was charged with 80 counts of animal cruelty. Specifically, those charges involved failure to provide adequate shelter for the animals.

The investigation began when deputies served a search warrant on the home and seized about half of the 100 animals that Mikkel lived with, including birds, dogs, cats, llamas, pigs, and horses. Maricopa County sheriff’s officials took Mikkel into custody after being detained earlier for allegedly hoarding animals at her home near Interstate 17 and the Carefree Highway.

Mikkel’s attorney, Marc Victor, said Mikkel would have turned herself in if she had been summoned on charges and said there was no need to make her arrest so public.

“This, in my opinion, was nothing but grandstanding, showboating by Sheriff Joe Arpaio,” Victor said. “I think it’s an outrage. I think it violates due process.”

Victor said it’s Mikkel’s arrest that has put the animals at risk.

“To go out to my client’s property today, where she was actually caring for her animals, and arrest her and create a crisis for her animals, who are now, I’m told by her neighbors, running around uncared for,” he said.