BENSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It started as a missing dog. Then it turned into the unimaginable for a Benson family.
Jerrie Schoenrock says her dog disappeared from her yard and was later found dead miles away, a case that is now part of a broader investigation into possible animal attacks in the Pomerene area.
Schoenrock had Sadie for nearly nine years. She says she rescued her after learning the dog had been abandoned by previous owners.
“She would have been 10 next month. A neighbor over here left her in their yard. They moved out and just left her in their yard, and another neighbor told me about her, so I went and got her,” she says.
Schoenrock says the night Sadie went missing felt ordinary. “She has her certain spots that she lays in when she's out there, usually it's in the front yard or on the front porch.”
But when Schoenrock went looking for her later that night, Sadie was gone.
“We have a 6 foot fence, and she wasn't anywhere, so that's when we started looking for her,” she says.
After searching on her own, Schoenrock turned to Facebook for help. The community responded. Two days later, Schoenrock says she found Sadie about five miles away from their home.
When she found Sadie, she says her dog collar was no longer around her neck.
“There was a cable, like an old bicycle cable or some sort attached to her collar. And that was still attached to it and that was removed and it was hanging in a tree, kind of right over where she was found and it was all bloodstained,” she explains.
The Cochise County Sheriff’s Office is investigating reports of animal attacks in the Pomerene area. Anyone who may have seen something suspicious is asked to call 88-CRIME. A $1,000 reward is being offered if information leads to an arrest.
“I’ve always felt pretty safe here, but I’m not so sure about now,” Schoenrock explains.
She says she wants whoever is responsible to be held accountable.
“I want this person to be caught. I want him to get the punishment that he deserves,” she says.
Schoenrock had Sadie cremated and keeps her ashes at home. She says it brings her comfort.
“She filled a lot of space here. She was my best friend here. So it’s hard,” she explains.
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Athena Kehoe is a reporter for KGUN 9, she joined the KGUN 9 team in July of 2024 after graduating from Arizona State University. Share your story ideas with Athena by emailing athena.kehoe@kgun9.com or by connecting on X/Twitter.
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