A California animal shelter that marketed itself as a sanctuary for unwanted pets was yesterday revealed as a killing ground. Sources confirm that 117 dogs, all with gunshot wounds, were discovered in a mass grave on the property of the so-called 'no-kill' facility in Kern County. The bodies were unearthed during a joint investigation by local law enforcement and the FBI, who had been tipped off by a former employee.
Documents obtained by this newspaper show the shelter, named 'Paws Haven', had received over $2 million in state and federal funding over the past five years. Its founder, a 54-year-old man named Harold Pemberton, has been arrested and charged with animal cruelty and fraud. But the questions do not stop there. UK animal welfare groups, including the RSPCA and the Blue Cross, have called for a full international inquiry into the facility's operations and the oversight bodies that allowed it to continue functioning.
The killings are believed to have occurred over a 12-month period. The dogs were shot at close range, according to a forensic report seen by this newspaper. Many were puppies. The shelter's 'no-kill' status, a coveted designation that attracts donors and adoption fees, appears to have been a complete fabrication. Internal emails show Pemberton bragging about his 'euthanasia rate' being below 10 per cent, while in reality he was disposing of animals with a bullet.
I have tracked the flow of money from the shelter's accounts. Pemberton is alleged to have channelled hundreds of thousands of dollars into personal accounts and a shell company registered in Nevada. The state's Department of Animal Services, which conducted annual inspections, has remained silent. A spokesman said only that they were 'cooperating fully' with the federal investigation.
But the rot may go deeper. A source within the department, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told me: 'Everyone knew something was wrong. The numbers didn't add up. But nobody wanted to be the one to blow the whistle. There are careers at stake.'
The UK's RSPCA has written to the US Ambassador in London demanding an independent review. 'This is not an isolated incident of a bad apple,' said a spokesperson. 'It is a systemic failure of regulation and accountability. Shelters across the United States have been found to misrepresent their practices. The public has a right to know how their donations are spent.'
As I write this, Pemberton is out on $500,000 bail. His lawyer issued a statement saying his client 'vehemently denies the allegations' and that the dogs were euthanised humanely by injection, then buried after their bodies were used for target practice by a 'third party'. The FBI is investigating that claim.
The story is far from over. I have obtained a list of donors to Paws Haven, including several celebrities and a British royal patron. They will be watching closely. The bodies have been exhumed. The truth is now being forced into the light.
