COLUMBIA — A Boone County German shepherd breeder has been charged with three felony animal abuse charges and 15 misdemeanor animal abuse charges after dozens of dead or malnourished dogs were found at her facility, according to court documents.
Melissa Nicole Sanders, 26, has a prominent social media presence for her breeding and boarding businesses, which is called Magnum Opus German Shepherds. She has more than 82,000 followers on TikTok, where she has posted videos with dogs. Her last post was in 2024.
A probable cause statement written by a Boone County Sheriff's Office deputy alleges that Columbia/Boone County Animal Control received a report of a dog that died while it was boarded at Magnum Opus German Shepherds. The dog was brought to a veterinarian to be cremated, and a necropsy found the dog died from strangulation, according to the probable cause statement.
Animal Control told the deputy that it had received several calls related to dogs dying while at Magnum Opus German Shepherds and had contacted Sanders to conduct a walkthrough; Sanders was hesitant to allow the walkthrough, according to the statement.
A search warrant was executed at Magnum Opus German Shepherds Thursday, and the deputy gave the following account in the probable cause statement:
Puppies were left unattended without food or water, the residence smelled like feces and urine, more than a dozen dead dogs in varying stages of decomposition were found inside and outside the residence, living dogs were found malnourished, with two near death due to starvation, and some living dogs appeared to be eating deceased dogs.
The accurate number of dead dogs was unknown and expected to rise, the deputy wrote in the statement, dated Friday.
Sanders was arrested during a traffic stop and declined further questioning about the dogs, according to the probable cause statement.
Sanders was booked into the Boone County Jail early Friday morning. She is being held in the jail without bond.