Animal Legal Defense Fund Offers $5,000 Reward in Case of Dog Killed in Sonoma County

Contact: media@aldf.org

Sonoma County, CA – The Animal Legal Defense Fund, the nation’s preeminent legal advocacy organization for animals, is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible for killing an 8-month-old female Chihuahua mix, whom the Animal Legal Defense Fund has posthumously named Luna.

On July 27th, Luna was discovered in Santa Rosa at the corner of Todd Road and Stony Point Road, south of Santa Rosa, inside a black “Outdoor Products” brand backpack with red straps. A necropsy (an autopsy performed on an animal) revealed that Luna had been strangled to death.

In California, the malicious and intentional killing of an animal can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, at the prosecutor’s discretion. If it is charged as a felony, a convicted offender can face up to three years imprisonment and/or a $20,000 fine.

“This case reminds us that crime victims come in all shapes, sizes, and species,” said Animal Legal Defense Fund Executive Director Stephen Wells. “All victims, whether human or animal, deserve justice. We therefore urge anyone with information to come forward.”

If you have information related to this incident, please contact the Sonoma County Animal Services at (707) 565-7100.