Police provided an update Thursday morning on the discovery of several dead in rural Cottage Grove.
Police now say a person has confessed to dumping the eight dead dogs on Gray Cloud Island which is along the Mississippi River near Highway 52. However, they said they don't believe that person was responsible for killing the dogs.
They also added they don't think the dogs actually died in Cottage Grove.
On the Cottage Grove Public Safety page on Facebook, authorities said investigators are working with the Animal Humane Society in Golden Valley to determine the cause of death.
"Much like a human being, they can look at an animal and give us a time of death and a cause of death, which might give us an indication of how much further should we pursue this investigation," Community Engagement Officer Dan Schoen told WCCO. "And if it was an intentional cause of death, that'd make for a different investigation than if they said, 'well, this dog died naturally of some cause.'"
The discovery was made by an off-duty officer this past weekend.
Here is the full statement from Cottage Grove:
Thanks to tips from the public, the Cottage Grove Police Department and the Animal Humane Society executed a search warrant at a residence in the City of Cottage Grove during the evening of Oct. 17, 2023. An individual involved confessed to disposing of the dogs on Grey Cloud Island. We are still waiting for necropsy results to determine the exact death of the dogs. In this instance, we do not believe the individual who dumped the dogs was responsible for their death nor did they die in Cottage Grove. We are continuing to work with the Animal Humane Society and will be working with another jurisdiction on the investigation.
This case has generated a lot of community and media attention which is why we are providing this information. The case is still actively being investigated to determine who was responsible for the dogs at the time of their death and what caused their death. There is no additional information at this time.
As a non-profit who operates solely on donations from the public the Animal Humane Society has been integral in the success of this investigation. You can find more information about them and how to help them at www.animalhumanesociety.org.
We recognize there are individuals who love animals and become overwhelmed trying to help too many at once. If you or someone you know is having difficulties caring for pets, please contact groups like the Animal Humane Society to help you rehome them.