Butler rescue operator pleads not guilty to strangling dog

Kayla Dillenburg, 30, pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges that she strangled a dog and defrauded donors who pledged money for its care. She operates Welcome Home Canine Rescue from her home in Butler, Indiana.

DeKalb County authorities charged Dillenburg with the felony of torturing or mutilating a vertebrate animal and with fraud. The case centers on a dog named Motley, who had accumulated $925 in public pledges before being pulled from Indianapolis Animal Care Services.

Court documents show that Dillenburg retrieved 21 dogs from the Indianapolis shelter over a 10-day period in late April. Investigators allege she specifically targeted animals with high financial pledges raised by social media donors. The investigation began in May when a volunteer rescue coordinator reported that dogs transferred to Dillenburg had gone missing and that her social media accounts were taken offline.

Records indicate Dillenburg picked up Motley from Indianapolis on April 28. On that same day, he was dropped off for cremation. Despite this, Dillenburg told an Indianapolis donor that Motley was alive and had an approved adoption lined up. Investigators concluded she deceived the donor into paying for care after the animal was already dead. Dillenburg told police that Motley died at her home of pneumonia and denied euthanizing him.

Investigators also obtained a recorded phone call between Dillenburg and a former friend. In that conversation, Dillenburg admitted to choking the dog after claiming he went after her child. The friend told deputies that in April, Dillenburg approached her with a plan to make money by pulling dogs with high pledges from Indianapolis.

Animal Control Officer Erika Hedge, who filed the affidavit of probable cause, stated that Dillenburg strangled Motley to death by her own admission. Hedge noted that there was no record of medical care or a diagnosis for pneumonia. Hedge also said Dillenburg committed fraud by obtaining dogs from Indianapolis for the sole purpose of profiting from their pledges.

While the affidavit focuses on Motley, questions remain about the other 20 dogs. Court records confirm Indianapolis Animal Care Services 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. Officer 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 and entered a not guilty plea. 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.