Target: Trina M. Sears, District Attorney of the Third Judicial District, Alaska
Goal: Prosecute to the fullest extent of the law the individual charged with 26 felony counts of animal cruelty after 25 sled dogs were allegedly found dead.
A witness who visited a kennel north of Willow, Alaska, on April 14 described seeing “dead dog after dead dog after dead dog” — animals still chained to their posts beside empty water dishes, with one dog left alive but so severely emaciated that a veterinarian later determined the findings were consistent with “prolonged starvation, lack of basic husbandry, and neglect.” The surviving dog, now named Woody, was removed by the witness and taken to a clinic for emergency care. When troopers and animal control arrived the following day, they confirmed 25 dead dogs on the property. The accused told investigators she fed the dogs twice daily — but when confronted with the veterinary findings for Woody, she reportedly acknowledged that if Woody was starving and dehydrated, “it was likely the other dogs suffered the same fate.”
According to the charging affidavit, food found on the property was covered in mold or a layer of frost, indicating it had gone untouched for a significant period. Critically, neighbors and local mushers had eportedly been raising concerns about the dogs’ welfare since January — three months before the deaths were discovered — yet their calls to animal control allegedly did not result in adequate in-person intervention. A second dog may also have survived. The Mat-Su Borough has launched both an internal and an independent external review of its animal control actions, acknowledging that community trust has been severely shaken.
Each of the 26 felony counts carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $50,000 fine under Alaska law. The District Attorney must pursue every count with maximum force — and the independent review of the alleged animal control failures must result in meaningful accountability and systemic reform. Demand full justice for the 25 dogs who allegedly died and the one who barely survived.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear DA Sears,
We are writing to urge your office to pursue the maximum penalties available under Alaska law against the individual charged with 26 felony counts of cruelty to animals following the discovery of 25 dead sled dogs on a kennel property north of Willow. According to the charging affidavit, investigators determined the accused failed to provide food and water to the animals in her care, resulting in what a veterinarian described as prolonged starvation, severe emaciation, and dehydration. Food on the property was reportedly covered in mold or frost — indicating it had gone untouched for an extended period. The accused reportedly acknowledged, when confronted with veterinary findings, that if the surviving dog Woody was starving, it was likely the other dogs had suffered the same fate.
What makes this case particularly devastating is that community members and fellow mushers had been raising concerns about the welfare of these dogs since January — and those concerns allegedly did not result in adequate intervention. Twenty-five dogs allegedly died of preventable causes. One dog survived seemingly only because a private citizen removed him and sought veterinary care. The justice system must ensure that this level of alleged cruelty carries consequences that are fully proportionate to the suffering allegedly caused.
We respectfully but firmly demand that your office pursue conviction and the maximum available sentencing — up to five years per count — on all 26 felony charges. Each count represents a dog who allegedly died in prolonged starvation, still chained to a post. It is now the justice system’s responsibility to speak for them.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: US Mission Canada
