Published: May 13, 2006 12:32 am      

Few leads in case of missing Elvira dogs

CLINTON — Chief Clinton County Sheriff’s Deputy Kevin Cain is doing everything he can to return eight missing Labrador retrievers to their owners. But without clues or witnesses, it is a very difficult process.

The dogs were stolen from the Elvira area in late April. Cain knew it would be a very emotional issue when he volunteered to investigate the case.

“This is very personal — you’re talking basically about a family member,” he said.

According to Cain, people are being vigilant and making calls to the county law center regarding suspicious vehicles transporting dogs. But so far nothing has panned out.

“I think it is great that they are calling in. Some are able to get license plates, some are not.” He does check out all the reports.

“We still have not made any connection between our missing dogs and the dog fighting,” Cain explained, referring to recent media attention to a spike in arrests connected to illegal dog fighting.

“In speaking to the Humane Society of the United States and our local Humane Society, it seems that there are times, even in areas of Iowa, there seems to be pockets of missing dogs — this isn’t the first time this has happened” Cain explained.

“They seem to lean toward two things — one may be a market for medical experiments or two — dog auctions.”

Cain said dog auctions are becoming a big issue down South.

“People will bring in dogs and they are sold very cheaply — mainly hunting dogs… if they perform well for the person who bought them they got cheap dogs,” Cain related. “If not they let them go or do whatever they do with them and go get another dog.”

A reward fund for information leading to an arrest or the return of the missing Elvira dogs has been established at Gateway State Bank. That fund currently totals $2,439. If it is not used, the money will be donated to a Humane Society. Contributions to the fund may be left at any Gateway State Bank location in Clinton, Charlotte and Goose Lake.

Kevin White lost two labs. His report sparked the investigation and it was his family that established the reward fund. He said he has received many calls thanking him for making people aware of the situation.

White’s dogs were farm dogs and lived outside. He said if he knew then what he knows now, the dogs would have been living in his basement.

Cain wants to encourage people to remain vigilant and make reports of suspicious vehicles to the law center.

People should “get as much information as they can,” Cain said. “We need good details — where they saw it, good descriptions and license plate number.”

The plate number is critical, Cain said, and callers do not have to leave their name.

“I want to get the dogs back to their rightful owners,” Cain said. “It’s brutal if they’re being used for (dog fighting.)”