Animal neglect case under investigation in Watonwan County

The Watonwan County Sheriff's Office has issued a press release regarding an animal neglect investigation.

The press release states that at approximately 7:10 p.m. Nov. 15, the office received a report from a property owner regarding concerns at a rural property that they owned but didn't reside at. The owners advised that a friend had been permitted to operate a nonprofit pet rescue on the premises.

Upon checking the location, the owners discovered that multiple dogs appeared to be in poor condition. The pet rescue owner was contacted and given an opportunity to address the animals' health concerns, the press release continued.

At approximately 6:18 p.m. Nov. 16, deputies were called back to the same property by the property owners, who reported locating several deceased dogs on the premises. Watonwan County Investigator Adam Butler responded to assist with the investigation. The Animal Humane Society was also contacted and responded with its Critical Response Team.

The Humane Society, working alongside Investigator Butler, removed all surviving dogs from the property and transported them to its facility for veterinary evaluation and treatment. An investigation report has been forwarded to the Watonwan County Attorney's Office for review. The case remains under active investigation and is pending potential charges.