Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office Investigates Fatal Shooting of Two Dogs at Rural Property

Chatfield, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the fatal shooting of two dogs. 

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That’s according to Lt. Malinda Hanson, who said the investigation remains open and active. Hanson says the case has been referred to the Olmsted County Attorney’s Office for review. 

“We are not releasing any further information and will not be making any statement as to the allegations, or the parties involved, at this time,” Hanson said in a statement to KROC News. 

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Pet Owners Accuse Neighbor of Shooting and Killing Their Dogs, Pursuing Legal Action

Hanson said deputies responded to investigate the killings of two animals in Orion Township, which is mainly northwest of Chatfield, last month.

A GoFundMe, started to help the dog owners pursue legal action, says they let out their Golden Doodle Sadie and their a 1½-year-old Great Pyrenees Bertha around 7:30 on the night of January 5. 

The dogs did not return home and their owners fanned out to search. They returned home after not finding the dogs and resumed the search the next morning. 

A neighbor helping the pet owners discovered Bertha’s body, indicating she had been shot. Sadie's body was later recovered from a creek, the GoFundMe says. 

Their owners suspect their dogs went to a neighboring property to investigate a pile of carcasses set up by the property owner to bait coyotes. 

The fundraiser says the property owner admitted to shooting both dogs, saying he fired the shots from inside his home after being alerted to their presence by a motion-activated camera.

“This GoFundMe exists to help Mike and Gail pursue justice for Sadie and Bertha, two loving, innocent dogs whose lives were taken senselessly. Legal action is expensive, but they are committed to holding the responsible party accountable,” the fundraiser says.