Emaciated Doberman Grace fuels Buena Vista County animal abuse probe

Grace’s gaunt frame has put Buena Vista County’s animal-welfare system back under a harsh spotlight. The severely emaciated Doberman, rescued about a month ago near Rembrandt, has injuries on her lips and ears, paces her kennel in anxiety and now sits at the center of an open sheriff’s investigation that is being weighed against an earlier starvation case only a few miles away.

That earlier case began Feb. 5, when three dogs were found inside a garbage bag in a ditch between 1021 and 1099 500th St., southwest of Rembrandt. One dog, Marcus, died from starvation. The two surviving females, Eleanor and Mathilda, were nursed back to health at People for Pets in Spencer. Buena Vista County Sheriff Kory Elston said the case remains an active investigation, and the similarities between the two cases have led investigators and shelter staff to examine whether the same person or people could be responsible.

The connection became more concrete after Exavier Ford of Linn Grove was arrested March 25 for leaving three dogs in a garbage bag four miles south and a mile west of Rembrandt. He faces charges tied to abandonment causing serious injury and death. For county residents, the message is stark: what began as one disturbing cruelty case has turned into a broader enforcement test, with investigators still trying to determine how many animals were involved, how long they had been neglected and whether more animals remain at risk.

Grace’s recovery has also exposed a second problem, the shortage of places to put animals once they are pulled from harm. Jenna Schroer, the shelter director at People for Pets, said Grace is well behaved, likes attention and does well with other dogs and cats, but needs a foster home where someone is around much of the time so she can decompress and feel safe. The shelter is asking the public to step forward by filling out a foster application online or calling the shelter directly.

People for Pets has become a regional pressure valve, with volunteers averaging about 1,500 hours of service each month and an agreement with the City of Spencer to find homes for stray cats and dogs not claimed within three business days. That strain is part of the reason Caring Paws Rescue in Storm Lake is renovating the former Lake Animal Hospital at 107 W. 16th St. The nonprofit, founded in 2024, bought the building for $275,000 and another $100,000 for equipment and inventory, with plans to house about 10 dogs and 50 to 60 cats. It had already raised more than $184,000 before launching its formal capital campaign, helped by a $150,000 Thomas Samsel Trust gift.

Grace’s case now stands as more than a single rescue. It is a test of whether Buena Vista County can identify cruelty quickly, place animals safely and keep pace with a demand that is still pushing local shelters to the limit. Anyone with information can contact the Buena Vista County Sheriff’s Office at 712-749-2530 or People for Pets at 712-580-2738.