Dog breeder found dead and up to 10 of his Doberman puppies missing

A dog breeder was found dead and at least 10 of his Doberman puppies are missing while police are investigating his death as a homicide, authorities said.

The Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office in Colorado, along with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and the 5th District Attorney's Office, are investigating the death of 57-year-old Paul Peavey, who was last heard from the evening of Aug. 19 and reported missing on Wednesday evening, Aug. 21, according to a statement released Monday by the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office.

Three days later, last Saturday, shortly before noon, the body of an adult man was discovered by a privately organized search party, police said.

Later that same day, the coroner's office confirmed that the deceased was Mr. Peavey, and officials said they would conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death, according to the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office.

Peavey was a Doberman breeder and it was reported that after his death many of his Doberman puppies disappeared from his property, police said.

Although authorities have not yet determined a motive for the killing, the whereabouts of the puppies are part of the ongoing investigation, the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

“We can confirm that many puppies are missing, possibly as many as 10, and we are asking the public for help in the following ways,” the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office said. “The missing Doberman puppies may have been sold through social media sites or other means since Tuesday, August 20th. All of Mr. Peavey's puppies are microchipped. Anyone who purchased a Doberman puppy in the Central Colorado area in the last week is asked to check the puppy for a microchip and contact the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office at 303-679-2393 or [email protected]. We may then be able to determine if the puppy is Mr. Peavey's.”

“Anyone who has purchased a puppy through Mr. Peavey's business, Elite European Dobermans, since June 2024 is also asked to contact the Sheriff's Office. Please contact us if you have received the puppy you purchased or if you have not received the puppy. This will help us determine exactly how many puppies are missing,” authorities continued.

The investigation is still at a very early stage and police said they would release further information in due course “which will not prejudice the investigation or any future legal proceedings”.

Police stressed that finding Peavey's missing puppies could also help solve his murder.

“We have received several tips regarding the missing puppies and are grateful for any information sent to us,” authorities said.

Anyone with information regarding this investigation is asked to call the Sheriff's Office non-emergency tip line at 303-679-2393 or email a tip to [email protected].