Reward Reaches $15,000 in Deadly Louisville Dog-Dumping Case: PETA Seeks Answers

For Immediate Release:
June 10, 2026

Contact:
Nicole Perreira 202-483-7382

PETA is offering a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction on cruelty charges of the person(s) responsible for abandoning a dog who was found suffering from a broken neck inside a garbage bag near Iroquois Park on April 28. Together with a reward offered by Hagan Properties, the total reward is now up to $15,000.

According to reports, a groundskeeper with Iroquois Golf Course heard cries of an animal in pain and followed the sound to a black plastic trash bag on the side of the road. He cut open the bag and found a husky named Sammie with severe injuries and twine wrapped around her snout. Louisville Metro Animal Services scanned Sammie’s microchip and located her guardian, who reported that the dog had escaped from the yard during a thunderstorm the night before. Sammie’s neck was broken, and despite attempts to save her, she needed to be euthanized.

“Sammie was lost, scared, and in need of help, but instead, someone out there abused her, tied her up, and left her alone to suffer in terror,” says PETA Founder Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is urging anyone with information about this case to come forward immediately so that the perpetrator can be held accountable before anyone else is harmed.”

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Louisville Metro Police Department at (502) 574-LMPD or submit a tip online.

PETA notes that thunderstorms, fireworks, and other loud events can be terrifying for animals, and reminds guardians to keep them inside during these events, and, if possible, to stay with them. Never leave animals tethered or chained outside—they can hang themselves if they leap over a fence while trying to run from the earsplitting blasts. Keep them calm by closing windows and curtains and drowning out the sounds with fans, air-conditioning units, the TV, or a radio tuned to a classical-music station. Finally, make sure that they are microchipped and wearing a collar or a harness with an up-to-date identification tag.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kitsfor people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.Reward Reaches $15,000 in Deadly Louisville Dog-Dumping Case: PETA Seeks Answers