There are still no criminal charges against the owner of a kennel in rural Pottawattamie County where four dogs were found dead and dozens of others were abandoned.
That has some of the dog owners very upset and planning to take action of their own.
After the 30-plus owners that housed their pups at Young Gunz Kennel learned about their dogs being abandoned, many of them wanted justice.
So while they wait for possible criminal action against kennel owner Dustin Young, some are now talking about suing Young for damages.
When Wil Beach picked up his dog Cooper from the training facility in early May, the one-year-old pup was covered in feces, had diarrhea and was 20 pounds underweight.
That's why he didn't think it would take long for business owner Dustin Young to be prosecuted.
"I'm just shocked that no charges have been filed yet. I was expecting some to be filed by now," says Beach.
He's not alone. Dani Allison's puppy Duke was found dead in a garbage bag when investigators searched the facility. She has made a point to call the Pottawattamie County Sheriff's Office once a week.
"I'm getting the same answers from them that I got the first week, that they're subpoenaing bank records and doing this and doing that and it takes times and I get that, but at the same time, it's been three and a half weeks,” says Allison.
Regardless of any criminal charges the county files, Allison says she'll eventually file a civil suit against Dustin Young, with hopes that many more owners will join the class action lawsuit.
"I just want to make sure he is never able to go across state lines and train dogs or own dogs or anything,” says Young.
Beach paid Young Gunz $550, plus around $300 in vet fees once he picked Duke up.
He's also looking to recoup his losses
"I want the money that I paid him back for training that he did not receive. I would definitely want my money back,” says Beach.
An investigator with the Pottawattamie Sheriff’s Office says they are currently sifting through financial records and that these type of cases take time. He gave no timeline for the case to be complete.
