UNION COUNTY, N.C. — The bodies of seven dogs were found buried in the leaves off Morgan Academy Road in Union County.
The Union County Sheriff’s Office said a citizen spotted the dogs' remains on Thursday.
Deputies collected evidence and took pictures on Friday.
Karlie Horne, co-founder of Pawsitive Impact NC Dog Rescue, learned about the dogs and went to the scene on Saturday. She said she was horrified to see blood in the dogs’ ears
“(It’s) sickening. I just can’t describe it. It was a very emotional day on Saturday,” she said.
Horne took two of the bodies to her vet in Ballantnye, who told Channel 9 that the dogs had been shot in the head. DOT crews planned to clear the remaining five dogs from the road, but Horne couldn't see that happening.
"Given the way that they died, I didn't think they deserved that, so we decided as a rescue that we would have them cremated," she said.
Horne speculates that it was a horrific scene.
"They killed them, killed them one at a time. Which means they sat, they stood wherever they were, knowing they were next,” she said.
The veterinarian believes that the dogs were of mixed breeds, only between 2 and 4 years old, and in fairly good health.
The Union County Sheriff's Office said the dogs were not microchipped.
A detective in Union County Animal Services was assigned to the case on Monday.
Horne has already started to spread the word on social media. She also said people in the community are offering a reward for information that leads to an arrest.
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