Multiple Family Dogs Missing in Pender County Area – Community Desperate for Help

By Melissa Williams

I am writing on behalf of several devastated families in our community who are living a nightmare. Our beloved dogs are disappearing—and it’s becoming clear that this is not a coincidence.

In just the past weeks, multiple family dogs have gone missing in and around the Burgaw, NC area. These include (but are not limited to):

Koda – Reward: $6,000

Dottie – Reward: $5,000

Thor – Reward: $500

Marlo – Reward: $400

Duke, Lola, Bear, Yayo, Sissy, Willow, Fendi – and many others.

This is only a partial list. There are far more dogs unaccounted for than we can list here, with new reports surfacing every week. Families across our county are terrified, heartbroken, and desperate.

These are not just missing pets—they are loved family members. Children are crying themselves to sleep. Families are offering thousands of dollars in rewards just to bring them home. But our fear goes beyond theft. With so many dogs vanishing, many of us are beginning to suspect a more sinister reality: organized thefts for resale, or worse, connections to illegal dog fighting operations.

We have contacted law enforcement, but we feel our concerns are not being heard. We are reaching out to you because we need awareness. We need our community to know what’s happening. And we need help putting pressure on those in power to investigate before more dogs—and more families—suffer.

We are begging you to help us shine a light on this crisis:

• Share the faces and names of these dogs.

• Raise the question: “Why are so many dogs vanishing from our area?”

• Help us get answers and stop this from continuing.

If we cannot save our dogs, we hope at least to protect the dogs of the future. Please, give this issue the attention it urgently deserves.