Three Dogs Dumped Near Rembrandt; One Dead, Two in Shelter, Sheriff Investigates

Buena Vista County Sheriff Kory Elston is asking the public for help after three dogs were found dumped in a roadside ditch southwest of Rembrandt, leaving one dead from starvation and two females in critical care at People for Pets in Spencer. The animals were discovered in a garbage bag just off a gravel road on Feb. 5, and the finder contacted the sheriff’s department, which then notified the shelter.

“We got a call on February 5th that there were three dogs dumped in a ditch. A Samaritan that was driving by had found them in a garbage bag, and one of the girls was sticking her head out of the bag,” Jenna Schroer, director of People for Pets, said about the initial report and discovery location southwest of Rembrandt. The scene was described by shelter staff as remote, with no nearby surveillance to capture who left the animals.

Shelter staff reported that when the dogs arrived, one had already passed away from starvation and the other two were “clinging to life” and severely emaciated. “I didn’t know how bad the situation was until they got here. I think (of) everyone here, there was not a dry eye. It was very hard to see. I’ve only been here four years, but I’ve never seen anything like it,” Schroer said, describing the emotional impact on People for Pets employees in Spencer.

The two surviving females have been identified by the shelter as Eleanor and Mathilda and have been placed on a careful refeeding schedule. Schroer said staff began with very small amounts spread across six feedings a day, and by the time of the report they had reduced feedings to about four times daily. “Now they’re almost back to normal. I think we’re still doing four feedings a day, as you can see, they’re looking really good, they’re looking really healthy, better than before,” Schroer said.

Investigators and shelter staff say identifying the person or people responsible is difficult given the remote dump site. “It’s just not right. If we can’t find who did it, it’s hard to find out who did it when they’re dumped in the middle of nowhere. There’s no cameras, we tried to pull prints. If anything, we can get awareness to these girls and just remind the public that this is not okay. Starving dogs up to the point where they die is not okay,” Schroer said, urging accountability and community awareness.

Buena Vista County Sheriff Kory Elston has asked anyone with information about the Feb. 5 dumping southwest of Rembrandt to contact the sheriff’s office. In the meantime People for Pets in Spencer continues medical and nutritional care for Eleanor and Mathilda as the shelter presses for answers about the deceased dog and for justice in the case.