The reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for violently killing five dogs found in the Lower Yakima Valley this spring is now up to $10,000.
PETA announced Tuesday that it is offering up to $5,000 in addition to the now $5,000 reward offered by Pasado’s Safe Haven for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for abusing, killing and dumping five dogs in the Lower Yakima Valley.
Pasado’s, an animal sanctuary and rescue organization based in Snohomish County, is partnering with People for Animal Care and Kindness and Team Okanagan to increase the original $1,000 reward.
The dogs’ bodies were found primarily in Grandview and Sunnyside between March 16 and May 11, according to PETA, which provided information from the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. They were a Doberman, a Rottweiler-type, a German shepherd mix, a heeler-shepherd mix and a pit bull mix.
Four of the dogs were male and one was female. All showed signs of severe abuse, including starvation and injuries consistent with blunt force trauma and being dragged behind a car and tied up with a massive chain, according to PETA’s news release.
Due to the varied causes of death, multiple people may be involved, PETA said.
Pasado’s and the sheriff’s office are investigating. Pasado’s brought each deceased dog to their sanctuary, where the medical team performed necropsies to determine the type and level of abuse the dogs suffered and search for evidence in hopes of finding new leads, the nonprofit said in a news release.
“Beyond our recovery efforts associated with these killings, we are seeing a disturbing rise in the number of dog abuse, abandonment, and neglect cases in Yakima County overall,” said Cynthia Wang, executive director of Pasado’s.
Investigators seek the public’s help with any information. There are three ways to submit anonymous tips through Yakima County Crime Stoppers. Anyone with specific details should call 1-800-222-TIPS, visit www.crimestoppersyakco.org using case number #23C03867 or download the P3 Tips app on a mobile device.