Guys, we need your help. Something horrible happened at the Jurupa Valley Animal Shelter in Riverside County in Southern California Saturday night.
Shelter workers showed up around 6:30am Sunday to clean and feed the animals and knew immediately that something was horribly wrong.
Dogs were roaming free from their kennels.
(Photo Credit: KTLA)Someone had broken into the shelter the night before and cut the locks off 22 kennels, probably with bolt cutters. The bodies of two small dogs were found diseased and the workers said the injuries were not consistent with attack from another dog.
“We found blood spatter everywhere,” department spokesperson Welsh told KTLA. “There were some blood markings that were about 3 feet off the ground. We don’t know exactly what caused that, but we don’t suspect that an animal jumped into the air and caused that blood spatter.”
One of the two diseased dogs was a 6-year-old Yorkie who had a microchip and had been picked up the night before. Can you imagine getting a call that your lost dog has been found, but is now dead? I can’t imagine the anguish and I fear deeply for the missing dogs.
A third dog was found dead about a mile from the shelter wearing Jarupa Shelter tags. He was roaming the streets and had been hit by a car. At least a dozen other dogs are missing.
Shelter employees were working with the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigators to figure out what happened and who did this. They are reviewing surveillance footage and hoping that they can find any clues to tell them who did this and get the stolen dogs back.
If you know anything about this we beg you to call the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and tell them anything you can: 1-800-950-2444
UPDATE: 5 of the missing shelter dogs have been recovered THANK GOD!
UPDATE 2: Local organizations have pledged $20,000 to a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person who burglarized the shelter.
UPDATE 3: A 4th dog found dead, also hit by a car wandering the streets.
UPDATE4: Dusting for fingerprints!
15 busted locks get dusted for possible prints. #shelterbreakin we hope bad guy is next to get busted. pic.twitter.com/1dWRpQmZOJ
— RivCO animalSERVICES (@helpinRIVcoPETS) September 14, 2015
This is one of the two FOUND dogs that had been missing after #shelterbreakin pic.twitter.com/XY6BErY8gf
— RivCO animalSERVICES (@helpinRIVcoPETS) September 14, 2015
