DEMAND AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO DOGTOWN RANCH RESCUE & SANCTUARY AND THE MILAM CO
The Issue
DEMAND AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO DOGTOWN RANCH RESCUE & SANCTUARY AND THE MILAM COUNTY RESPONSE
We are calling for an independent, transparent investigation into serious allegations concerning the welfare, treatment, medical care, confinement, and deaths of animals reportedly connected with Dogtown Ranch Rescue & Sanctuary in Milam County, Texas.
We are also asking for an independent review of the response to complaints made to local authorities.
This petition is not asking the public to determine guilt through Facebook posts, rumors, or personal disputes.
We are asking qualified investigators to examine the evidence, determine what happened, protect animals if necessary, and enforce the law if violations are established.
WHY ARE WE ASKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION?
Photographs, videos, witness accounts, public reporting, and other materials have raised serious questions regarding conditions and animal care at Dogtown.
Concerns and allegations include:
• Sick and seriously injured animals and questions about whether timely veterinary treatment was provided.
• Animal deaths under circumstances that witnesses and advocates believe warrant further investigation.
• Photographs and videos reportedly depicting disturbing conditions involving animals.
• Questions concerning veterinary documentation associated with animals for whom donations were reportedly solicited.
• Questions surrounding the handling and disposition of deceased animals.
• Reports involving a dog named Annie, who is allegedly repeatedly permitted to roam away from the property. Investigators should determine the facts and whether any applicable animal-control laws or ordinances have been violated.
These are serious allegations. They require evidence and investigation, not a social-media verdict.
THE SPCA HAS ALREADY BEEN INVOLVED
According to the Milam County Sheriff's Office's own public account, investigators conducted an unannounced inspection on July 9, 2026 accompanied by an SPCA of Texas investigator and an SPCA veterinarian.
The county reported that the inspection did not identify an emergency requiring immediate removal of the animals or criminal enforcement.
However, the SPCA identified improvements to the property and animal-care practices.
The Sheriff's Office subsequently reported receiving the list of improvements and returning to the property, where some improvements reportedly had been completed while others remained underway.
We believe the public deserves to know:
What conditions caused those improvements to be requested?
What specifically was required?
Were deadlines established?
Were all corrective measures completed?
Was there subsequent independent follow-up?
Have conditions changed since that inspection?
THE SHERIFF'S RECORDED STATEMENTS SHOULD ALSO BE REVIEWED
A recorded discussion involving the Milam County Sheriff and animal advocates should be preserved and reviewed as part of any independent investigation.
During that discussion, the sheriff states that he had been to the property three times and had not observed dead, sick, or injured animals.
Those present questioned him about the extent of his inspections, including whether he entered a bedroom at the property. He stated that he had.
He was also questioned about an allegedly seriously injured Malinois.
The recording does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing by the sheriff or prove the allegations against Dogtown.
It does demonstrate why the local response, inspection history, reports, photographs, videos, and other evidence should be independently reviewed.
QUESTIONS ABOUT INDEPENDENT VETERINARY REVIEW
We have also received information indicating that a veterinary technician associated with a veterinary provider connected with Dogtown has been identified as a member of Dogtown's Board of Directors.
That relationship does not establish veterinary misconduct, and we are not accusing a veterinarian or veterinary clinic of falsifying records.
It does, however, make independence particularly important.
We request that animals requiring evaluation as part of this investigation be examined by a veterinarian who has no employment, financial, governance, or organizational relationship with Dogtown Ranch Rescue & Sanctuary.
Where legally authorized, investigators should obtain original veterinary documentation directly from providers.
THE AUGUST RV FIRE ALSO DESERVES DOCUMENTATION
There is another event for which we are requesting official records and answers.
Milam County placed an outdoor burn prohibition into effect on August 12, 2026.
An RV/trailer at the Dogtown property was reported to have burned on August 13, 2026.
We are not alleging that the RV fire was deliberately set, that it violated the burn ban, or that animals or records were destroyed. We currently do not have evidence establishing any of those things.
We are asking authorities to document what actually happened.
We request the relevant 911/dispatch records, responding fire department's incident report, responding units, photographs or video where available, and any origin-and-cause investigation.
We also ask investigators to determine whether animals, organizational records, veterinary records, intake/outcome records, financial documentation, or other materials were inside the RV.
Questions should be answered with records, not speculation.
WHAT WE ARE ASKING AUTHORITIES TO DO
We respectfully request:
1. An independent welfare inspection of animals currently housed at Dogtown.
2. Independent veterinary examinations where medically appropriate.
3. Review of veterinary documentation involving animals alleged to have been seriously injured, ill, or deceased.
4. Review of original photographs and videos rather than relying solely upon social-media captions.
5. Interviews with firsthand witnesses and whistleblowers.
6. Review of available animal intake, outcome, adoption, transfer, medical, and death records.
7. Investigation of the circumstances surrounding specifically identified animal deaths.
8. Review of complaints previously submitted to Milam County authorities and the actions taken in response.
9. Review of the three property visits described by the sheriff, including their dates, scope, observations, and documentation.
10. Review of the SPCA's requested improvements and whether they were completed.
11. Investigation of reports concerning Annie and any applicable animal-at-large requirements.
12. Independent veterinary review free from potential organizational conflicts.
13. Review, where legally appropriate, of fundraising representations concerning particular animals and supporting veterinary documentation.
14. Preservation of relevant photographs, videos, electronic communications, veterinary records, animal records, official reports, and other potential evidence.
15. Review of the August 13 RV fire and associated emergency-response records.
16. Appropriate enforcement action if the evidence establishes violations of law.
And we believe something equally important:
If particular allegations are disproven, those findings should be documented as well.
Accountability means following the evidence wherever it leads.
WE ARE REQUESTING OUTSIDE REVIEW
We intend to provide this petition and supporting documentation to appropriate authorities and animal-welfare professionals, including agencies with potential investigative, prosecutorial, law-enforcement, veterinary-forensic, or animal-welfare responsibilities.
This includes appropriate Milam County authorities, the Texas Department of Public Safety/Texas Ranger Division, appropriate state authorities, the SPCA of Texas, qualified animal-cruelty investigators and veterinary-forensic professionals, and other organizations capable of providing assistance or appropriate referrals.
We are not asking an organization to exercise authority it does not possess.
We are asking each recipient to review the information, act within its authority, and refer the matter appropriately when jurisdiction belongs elsewhere.
RECOGNITION
We recognize Todd Stephen Smith and Paul Mueller for helping bring public attention to concerns surrounding these animals and the official response.
We also recognize the whistleblower and other individuals who have come forward with photographs, videos, testimony, or documentation.
Their information should neither be automatically accepted nor dismissed because it appeared on social media.
It should be investigated.
THIS IS ABOUT THE ANIMALS
Facebook cannot determine what happened.
Evidence can.
Veterinary records can.
Original photographs and video can.
Witness interviews can.
Official reports can.
An independent investigation can.
If the animals are receiving appropriate care, document it.
If allegations are disproven, document that.
If animals have suffered neglect, cruelty, inadequate medical treatment, or other unlawful treatment, protect them and enforce the law.
And if complaints or evidence were inadequately investigated, determine what happened and correct it.
Protect the animals. Preserve the evidence. Investigate independently. Follow the facts.
Please sign and share this petition demanding transparency, accountability, and an independent investigation into the allegations surrounding Dogtown Ranch Rescue & Sanctuary and the response of Milam County authorities.
The animals deserve answers based on evidence.
307
The Issue
DEMAND AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO DOGTOWN RANCH RESCUE & SANCTUARY AND THE MILAM COUNTY RESPONSE
We are calling for an independent, transparent investigation into serious allegations concerning the welfare, treatment, medical care, confinement, and deaths of animals reportedly connected with Dogtown Ranch Rescue & Sanctuary in Milam County, Texas.
We are also asking for an independent review of the response to complaints made to local authorities.
This petition is not asking the public to determine guilt through Facebook posts, rumors, or personal disputes.
We are asking qualified investigators to examine the evidence, determine what happened, protect animals if necessary, and enforce the law if violations are established.
WHY ARE WE ASKING FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION?
Photographs, videos, witness accounts, public reporting, and other materials have raised serious questions regarding conditions and animal care at Dogtown.
Concerns and allegations include:
• Sick and seriously injured animals and questions about whether timely veterinary treatment was provided.
• Animal deaths under circumstances that witnesses and advocates believe warrant further investigation.
• Photographs and videos reportedly depicting disturbing conditions involving animals.
• Questions concerning veterinary documentation associated with animals for whom donations were reportedly solicited.
• Questions surrounding the handling and disposition of deceased animals.
• Reports involving a dog named Annie, who is allegedly repeatedly permitted to roam away from the property. Investigators should determine the facts and whether any applicable animal-control laws or ordinances have been violated.
These are serious allegations. They require evidence and investigation, not a social-media verdict.
THE SPCA HAS ALREADY BEEN INVOLVED
According to the Milam County Sheriff's Office's own public account, investigators conducted an unannounced inspection on July 9, 2026 accompanied by an SPCA of Texas investigator and an SPCA veterinarian.
The county reported that the inspection did not identify an emergency requiring immediate removal of the animals or criminal enforcement.
However, the SPCA identified improvements to the property and animal-care practices.
The Sheriff's Office subsequently reported receiving the list of improvements and returning to the property, where some improvements reportedly had been completed while others remained underway.
We believe the public deserves to know:
What conditions caused those improvements to be requested?
What specifically was required?
Were deadlines established?
Were all corrective measures completed?
Was there subsequent independent follow-up?
Have conditions changed since that inspection?
THE SHERIFF'S RECORDED STATEMENTS SHOULD ALSO BE REVIEWED
A recorded discussion involving the Milam County Sheriff and animal advocates should be preserved and reviewed as part of any independent investigation.
During that discussion, the sheriff states that he had been to the property three times and had not observed dead, sick, or injured animals.
Those present questioned him about the extent of his inspections, including whether he entered a bedroom at the property. He stated that he had.
He was also questioned about an allegedly seriously injured Malinois.
The recording does not, by itself, establish wrongdoing by the sheriff or prove the allegations against Dogtown.
It does demonstrate why the local response, inspection history, reports, photographs, videos, and other evidence should be independently reviewed.
QUESTIONS ABOUT INDEPENDENT VETERINARY REVIEW
We have also received information indicating that a veterinary technician associated with a veterinary provider connected with Dogtown has been identified as a member of Dogtown's Board of Directors.
That relationship does not establish veterinary misconduct, and we are not accusing a veterinarian or veterinary clinic of falsifying records.
It does, however, make independence particularly important.
We request that animals requiring evaluation as part of this investigation be examined by a veterinarian who has no employment, financial, governance, or organizational relationship with Dogtown Ranch Rescue & Sanctuary.
Where legally authorized, investigators should obtain original veterinary documentation directly from providers.
THE AUGUST RV FIRE ALSO DESERVES DOCUMENTATION
There is another event for which we are requesting official records and answers.
Milam County placed an outdoor burn prohibition into effect on August 12, 2026.
An RV/trailer at the Dogtown property was reported to have burned on August 13, 2026.
We are not alleging that the RV fire was deliberately set, that it violated the burn ban, or that animals or records were destroyed. We currently do not have evidence establishing any of those things.
We are asking authorities to document what actually happened.
We request the relevant 911/dispatch records, responding fire department's incident report, responding units, photographs or video where available, and any origin-and-cause investigation.
We also ask investigators to determine whether animals, organizational records, veterinary records, intake/outcome records, financial documentation, or other materials were inside the RV.
Questions should be answered with records, not speculation.
WHAT WE ARE ASKING AUTHORITIES TO DO
We respectfully request:
1. An independent welfare inspection of animals currently housed at Dogtown.
2. Independent veterinary examinations where medically appropriate.
3. Review of veterinary documentation involving animals alleged to have been seriously injured, ill, or deceased.
4. Review of original photographs and videos rather than relying solely upon social-media captions.
5. Interviews with firsthand witnesses and whistleblowers.
6. Review of available animal intake, outcome, adoption, transfer, medical, and death records.
7. Investigation of the circumstances surrounding specifically identified animal deaths.
8. Review of complaints previously submitted to Milam County authorities and the actions taken in response.
9. Review of the three property visits described by the sheriff, including their dates, scope, observations, and documentation.
10. Review of the SPCA's requested improvements and whether they were completed.
11. Investigation of reports concerning Annie and any applicable animal-at-large requirements.
12. Independent veterinary review free from potential organizational conflicts.
13. Review, where legally appropriate, of fundraising representations concerning particular animals and supporting veterinary documentation.
14. Preservation of relevant photographs, videos, electronic communications, veterinary records, animal records, official reports, and other potential evidence.
15. Review of the August 13 RV fire and associated emergency-response records.
16. Appropriate enforcement action if the evidence establishes violations of law.
And we believe something equally important:
If particular allegations are disproven, those findings should be documented as well.
Accountability means following the evidence wherever it leads.
WE ARE REQUESTING OUTSIDE REVIEW
We intend to provide this petition and supporting documentation to appropriate authorities and animal-welfare professionals, including agencies with potential investigative, prosecutorial, law-enforcement, veterinary-forensic, or animal-welfare responsibilities.
This includes appropriate Milam County authorities, the Texas Department of Public Safety/Texas Ranger Division, appropriate state authorities, the SPCA of Texas, qualified animal-cruelty investigators and veterinary-forensic professionals, and other organizations capable of providing assistance or appropriate referrals.
We are not asking an organization to exercise authority it does not possess.
We are asking each recipient to review the information, act within its authority, and refer the matter appropriately when jurisdiction belongs elsewhere.
RECOGNITION
We recognize Todd Stephen Smith and Paul Mueller for helping bring public attention to concerns surrounding these animals and the official response.
We also recognize the whistleblower and other individuals who have come forward with photographs, videos, testimony, or documentation.
Their information should neither be automatically accepted nor dismissed because it appeared on social media.
It should be investigated.
THIS IS ABOUT THE ANIMALS
Facebook cannot determine what happened.
Evidence can.
Veterinary records can.
Original photographs and video can.
Witness interviews can.
Official reports can.
An independent investigation can.
If the animals are receiving appropriate care, document it.
If allegations are disproven, document that.
If animals have suffered neglect, cruelty, inadequate medical treatment, or other unlawful treatment, protect them and enforce the law.
And if complaints or evidence were inadequately investigated, determine what happened and correct it.
Protect the animals. Preserve the evidence. Investigate independently. Follow the facts.
Please sign and share this petition demanding transparency, accountability, and an independent investigation into the allegations surrounding Dogtown Ranch Rescue & Sanctuary and the response of Milam County authorities.
The animals deserve answers based on evidence.
Supporter Voices
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Petition created on August 24, 2026