Rescue operator charged with strangling dog valued at $925 in pledges

Kayla Dillenburg, a 30-year-old woman who ran an animal rescue from her home in Butler, Indiana, now faces a felony charge for strangling a dog and a separate fraud count. The case centers on a specific animal named Motley, who had accumulated $925 in public pledges to save him from euthanasia at the Indianapolis Animal Care Services (IACS) shelter. Dillenburg has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The investigation began in May when an IACS volunteer coordinator noticed that dogs transferred to Dillenburg’s operation had gone missing. Her rescue’s social media accounts were also taken offline around the same time. DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Officer Erika Hedge filed the affidavit of probable cause based on these initial discrepancies and subsequent evidence gathering.

According to court documents, Dillenburg pulled 21 dogs from IACS over a 10-day period in late April. Investigators allege she specifically targeted animals with high financial pledges. Motley was picked up from Indianapolis on April 28. Records indicate he died that same day and was dropped off for cremation. Despite this, Dillenburg told a donor that Motley was alive and had an approved adoption lined up.

Dillenburg claimed Motley died at her home of pneumonia. However, records showed no medical care or diagnosis was provided. Investigators also obtained a recorded phone call between Dillenburg and a former friend. In the recording, Dillenburg admitted to "choking that dog out" after saying the animal went after her child. The friend told deputies that Dillenburg had approached her in April with a plan to profit by pulling dogs with high pledges.

Officer Hedge stated that Dillenburg knowingly and recklessly tortured or mutilated the dog. Hedge noted that Dillenburg told the public Motley died of pneumonia without any medical record to support that claim. Hedge also argued that Dillenburg committed fraud by obtaining the dogs from IACS for the sole purpose of profiting from their pledges.

Questions remain regarding the other 20 dogs Dillenburg allegedly acquired. Court records confirm IACS received paperwork for only four of the 21 animals. Dillenburg told police that a mother dog and her puppies were placed with a rescue in Michigan, but she did not produce paperwork to verify that claim. Hedge said the investigation remains active, so she could not comment on the status of the remaining animals.

Dillenburg appeared before a judge on Friday, October 30. She entered a plea of not guilty, and a public defender was appointed to represent her. She was released on her own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in court again in January 2027. Hedge added that she has received numerous calls from people coming forward with information as news of the charges spread.