Update (May 5, 2017): A NorCal Bully Breed Rescue volunteer has informed SFGATE that the "cumulative reward" for information leading to arrest has been upped to $4,000.

A woman named Carine Peters, walking on the Blue Rock Springs Park Trail in Vallejo with her dogs on February 17, was shocked when her pets led her to a horrific find: black trash bags full of 10-12 dead dogs of different breeds and sizes.

"I couldn't really comprehend what I was seeing because it was so mind-blowing," Peters told the local Times-Herald. "When I first saw them, parts of dogs were sticking out of the bags. One of the bigger dogs, maybe a lab, was lying next to the rest."

Peters called Animal Control in Solano County, but says she wasn't able to speak with anyone. After several days spent waiting for a response from Animal Control, she continued to check in on the site. Coyotes, it appeared, had taken the dogs out of the bags.

"There was a pile of three dogs here with a blonde Yorkie on top," she told the Times-Herald. "Several of the dogs were down in the ditch. One was ripped apart in pieces. There were several little dogs all over the place. There were parts all the way down to the fence line. It was quite terrifying."

Another disturbing discovery nearby came in the form of two long poles: one looked to be a tool used to trim trees but had fur stuck in it, and the other had a sharp box cutter taped to the end.

After a lack of response from Animal Control, Peters posted about her findings on Nextdoor. This caught the attention of Marie Victa-Chua and Cindy Shay of the nonprofit Center of Animal Rescue and Education in Solano County (CARES), who reached out to Peters and visited the site with her.

CARES, who took photos and video of the site, believes that the dogs were pets despite a lack of tags, and were "possibly stolen."

"They were clean, their coats were groomed, and blonde Yorkies aren't generally strays," Shay told KTVU. "Of course the most obvious question is why, and how could anybody do this? They were helpless Yorkies, little dogs."

The Vallejo Police Department (with Animal Control) visited the site after CARES got involved, and though they have taken statements, the police have reportedly declined to investigate the situation further. SFGATE's request for comment from the police department has not been returned.

"These animals lost their lives to something sick and depraved. I don't know what happened," Peters said. "Were they bait dogs or is there some individual out here that's killing dogs?"

But the case isn't closed. CARES is pursuing answers with Victa-Chua offering a $2,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. She says she also believes Animal Control is still investigating what happened.

"At this point, we are focusing on ways to reach out to the community to be more vigilant and be aware of their surroundings," Victa-Chua told SFGATE. "That any suspicious activity must urgently be reported to the proper authorities, and that pet owners must be cautious not to leave their pets alone even if it is in their front yard."

Alyssa Pereira is a SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

