MAZOMANIE (WKOW) — Two more deceased dogs have been found on public hunting land in the Township of Mazomanie.
27 News first reported Saturday about a puppy found dead, possibly shot. 27 News received a tip about two additional deceased dogs found in the area and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and Wisconsin DNR confirm the dogs were found shot Tuesday. They were in an area near Amenda Road.
Officials say there are no current reports of missing dogs in the area. All three dogs were found on public land.
Just last week, local pet groomer Christein Sertzel said she went out to recover a dog a hunter reported “shot dead” near County Rd. Y. in a Mazomanie Facebook group.
“When I walked up to the scene it was actually a puppy so I was quite taken aback,” she said.
Sertzel said she took the dog to a vet to have it examined. She wanted to pay her respects and lay it to rest.
“We named her Ivy and we are planning on taking her ashes and spreading her ashes locally,” she said.
Then Sertzel saw another post in the Facebook group about two more dogs found dead in the area.
“It makes it look like there’s something really dark going on,” she said. “A lot of us were just like this is not just a fluke.”
The sheriff’s department said it appears all three were killed can confirm at least one was shot in the skull. At this point they can’t confirm if these cases are related.
Investigators said they can’t conduct a criminal investigation unless the owners come forward but they are looking into it. Sertzel said the community is hoping to help, raising money to offer as a reward for any information. So far they’ve raised about $1,000.
“You don’t shoot pets,” she said. “You try to contact their owner, get them back to their home, you don’t just take them out and euthanize them and dump them away like trash.”
Sertzel said she and other concerned Mazomanie residents have reached out to a number of lost dog groups to see if they can find identify any of the animals found.
“It’s the not knowing that’s the most uncomfortable and painful thing about this,” she said.
The sheriff’s office and DNR want to remind people there are area shelters that will take unwanted animals for adoption.
More on this story at WKOW 27 News