In Pender County, North Carolina, beloved family dogs are disappearing at an alarming rate. Nearly 30 dogs — most of them pit bull mixes — have vanished within a short drive of Burgaw. Many were taken from fenced yards. Others, like Koda, were last seen being loaded into a dark SUV. Their families have searched tirelessly, plastered neighborhoods with flyers, and offered thousands in rewards. But the dogs are still gone.

These are not strays. They are loved family members. Children are crying themselves to sleep, and owners who once felt safe in their communities now live in fear. The pattern is unmistakable, and it points to a chilling possibility: dogs are being stolen to supply illegal dog-fighting rings.

This is not speculation pulled from thin air. North Carolina has a long and painful history of dog fighting. In 2016, a federal grand jury indicted 10 men for fights across Eastern NC, including in Pender County. In 2024, deputies in Iredell County seized 25 dogs in a multistate fighting bust. In Gaston County, police charged a man with 30 counts of dog fighting — one for each dog locked in cages.

Families in Pender County have gone to the sheriff begging for action, only to be told authorities “need something concrete.” But when dozens of dogs vanish under similar circumstances, that should be evidence enough to launch a serious investigation. Doing nothing while families suffer and dogs disappear is unacceptable.

We call on Pender County Sheriff Alan Cutler, the Pender County Board of Commissioners, and the North Carolina General Assembly to act now. That means opening a full investigation into these disappearances, treating them as potential crimes, and passing “Koda’s Law” — a common-sense measure to require universal microchipping at vets, groomers, and shelters to help identify and recover stolen pets.

The people of Pender County are not asking for miracles. They are asking for protection, for accountability, and for the right to know their pets are safe in their own yards.

Add your name if you believe Pender County must stop dogs from being stolen for fighting and protect the families who love them.