Three dogs were killed and a dozen others were missing Sunday after an apparent break-in at a Jurupa Valley animal shelter, officials said.
The break-in at 6851 Van Buren Blvd. was believed to have occurred sometime Saturday night or early Sunday morning, said John Welsh of the Riverside County Animal Services. Employees arrived to find broken padlocks in a pile at the front of the building.
Dogs appeared to have been released out of kennels on purpose, Welsh said.
Two dogs, a Yorkie and Chihuahua, were found dead in a kennel and in the back parking lot, where blood was smeared on the walls. But it was unclear if they were killed by whoever broke in or from being attacked by larger dogs, Welsh said.
The third dog, a German shepherd, was found dead about a mile away after it was apparently struck by a car.
The animals will be examined by veterinarians to determine a cause of death.
"For somebody to purposefully come in and cause this kind of chaotic scene, not caring for the animals' welfare, it's disgusting,” Welsh said.
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One of the missing dogs appeared to have been found roaming the streets Sunday night.
The shelter will be working with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and review surveillance footage during the investigation.
"Some of the animals may have followed the person, some of the animals could have been carried off. We don't know, that's all still being looked at," Welsh said.
NBC4's Willian Avila contributed to this report.
