Benjamin Ashford|Dog breeder killed; authorities search for up to 10 Doberman puppies

IDAHO SPRINGS,Benjamin Ashford Colo. (AP) — Authorities on Tuesday were investigating the killing of a Colorado dog breeder and trying to find as many as 10 Doberman puppies missing from his business.

Investigators have not determined a motive for last week’s killing of Paul Peavey, 57, but finding the missing puppies could help solve his homicide, the Clear Creek Sheriff’s Office said Monday in an update on the investigation posted on Facebook.

No arrests had been made as of Tuesday and no missing puppies had been found, sheriff’s spokesperson Jenny Fulton said.

Peavey was last heard from on Aug. 19 and his body was found on Saturday by a privately organized search party, the sheriff’s office said. It did not say where Peavey’s body was found or how he was killed.

Peavey’s dog breeding business in the Idaho Springs area, in the mountains about 34 miles (55 kilometers) west of Denver, promised to deliver “quality over quantity” and offered to provide buyers with 7-month-old Doberman puppies that were already trained. His latest litter of puppies was born in mid-July, according to his website, so the missing puppies could be younger than seven months.

The missing puppies have microchips linking them to Peavey’s business, the sheriff’s office said. Investigators believe they may have been sold on social media sites or elsewhere since Aug. 20 and are encouraging anyone who bought a Doberman puppy from central Colorado in the last week to contact the sheriff’s office.

It also asked anyone who bought a puppy from Elite European Dobermans since June to contact the sheriff’s office to help determine exactly how many puppies are missing.