COLUMBIA — A Nebraska woman says her dog died while in the custody of a Boone County dog breeder who was recently arrested for felony animal abuse.
Melissa Sanders, a Boone County dog breeder, was taken into custody on Friday after authorities found multiple deceased and severely malnourished dogs at her home, according to court documents. Sanders is currently facing 15 misdemeanors and three felony charges of animal abuse.
Authorities said they rescued a total of 16 German shepherds. The Central Missouri Humane Society confirmed it has taken those dogs into custody.
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.
People who previously interacted with Sanders' business are now speaking out.
Collette Youngblood, from Omaha, Nebraska, told KOMU 8 her dog, Mojo, died on Nov. 1 while under Sanders' care. Youngblood said she knew Sanders for years and that Sanders wanted to use Mojo for breeding.
Youngblood said Mojo's weight shifted from 70 pounds to 40 pounds in the span of a month while she was boarded at the facility, alleging that the dog's death was due to starvation.
"It has truly broken me, and I know I will be able to put myself back together, and I'll be better, and smarter, and wiser, and all the things," Youngblood said. "But the fact that I couldn't get there fast enough and that I couldn't put together the pieces fast enough is so painful."
Youngblood said she continues to seek justice on her social media, including starting a Facebook group that discusses and helps owners find dogs that went missing under Sanders' care.
"The only thing that brings me solace was that I had so many people helping me find his body," Youngblood said.
The investigation is still ongoing.