05/13/2026
PLEASE READ??
Then please copy and mail that you are suppotive of this letter? Of you would like us to send you a copy of it via rmail or DM, please just send us a note and we’ll get it right over to you. Feel free to copy and email as you see fit too. The more they hear from the general public, the better.
Subject: State of Alaska v. Misty Springs Rehder (Case No. 3PA-26-00648CR) - Oppose Bail Reduction; Strict Pretrial Conditions; Oppose Any Plea Deal; Seek Custody, Lifetime Ban, Restitution
To: Trina Sears, District Attorney (Palmer); Angela Kemp, Deputy Attorney General, Criminal Division; Robert Henderson, Director, Criminal Division; Steven Cox, Acting Attorney General, State of Alaska; Eric Cordero Giorgiana, Special Assistant to Governor Mike Dunleavy
Dear District Attorney Sears and Officials,
I am writing on behalf of CARES: Canine Alaska Rescue Establishment and Sanctuary regarding State of Alaska v. Misty Springs Rehder, Case No. 3PA-26-00648CR.
About CARES:
CARES is dedicated to rescuing Heelers and Australian Cattle Dogs (ACDs), saving them from abandonment, neglect, and discard by society. Our mission is to provide compassionate care, rehabilitation, and lifelong placement for these dogs. We strive tirelessly to rescue as many as possible, extending our efforts beyond Alaska by coordinating and facilitating rescues nationwide.
This is a public-interest request. The reported facts describe extreme cruelty, the deaths of many dogs, and the suffering of survivors. Alaska’s response will set a clear precedent: either severe cruelty is met with serious consequences, or it is not.
1) Bail: oppose any reduction; request strict pretrial conditions
CARES requests that the State oppose any bail reduction and seek strict pretrial conditions to address risk to animals and protect the integrity of the case.
At minimum, we ask the State to seek conditions that include:
• No ownership, possession, custody, or contact with animals, directly or indirectly.
• No residing at any location where animals are kept.
• No fostering, breeding, selling, transferring, transporting, or advertising animals.
• No employment, contracting, or volunteering in any animal-related setting, including kennels, rescues/shelters, boarding facilities, training operations, grooming facilities, veterinary clinics, and any animal-care or animal-housing environment.
• No contact with witnesses and no interference with evidence.
• Any additional restrictions the court finds necessary based on the record, including monitoring/check-ins as appropriate.
2) Case resolution: CARES opposes any plea deal; seek felony accountability and real custody
CARES is opposed to resolving this case through a plea bargain. The reported scale and severity of suffering warrant felony accountability and meaningful custodial time, not a negotiated reduction that minimizes the conduct. CARES requests that the State prepare this case in trial posture rather than negotiating it down.
A lenient resolution in a case of this magnitude signals to the public that severe cruelty can be negotiated down to minimal consequences. This undermines deterrence and public trust.
(A) Meaningful custodial time (deterrence and accountability)
CARES requests a sentence that includes meaningful jail time proportionate to the severity of the harm. A non-custodial outcome or time-served resolution does not deter future offenders and will be read by the public as tolerance for extreme cruelty.
(B) Permanent prohibition on animal contact (explicit lifetime ban)
CARES requests a lifetime, comprehensive, enforceable prohibition on any contact with animals, including a clear ban on:
• Owning, possessing, or residing with any animals.
• Fostering, breeding, selling, transferring, transporting, or advertising animals.
• Operating, working for, contracting with, or volunteering in any animal-related environment, including (at minimum): kennels, rescues/shelters, boarding facilities, training operations, grooming facilities, veterinary clinics, and any animal-care or animal-housing setting.
(C) Restitution for public costs (taxpayer-funded response)
Once Animal Control took custody, the costs of veterinary care, transport, boarding, and rehabilitation shifted to the public. CARES requests that the State seek full restitution for all documented public expenditures incurred as a direct result of this case. Taxpayers, including public employees, should not bear the financial burden created by criminal cruelty when restitution is legally available and supported by agency documentation.
The government entity(ies) and contracted providers should have the documentation necessary to support a restitution request.
(D) If the State proceeds with a plea over CARES’ objection: no “paper plea,” enforceable conditions and monitoring
If the State nonetheless elects to resolve the case by plea agreement, CARES requests that it not be a “paper plea” and that it include, at minimum:
• Meaningful custodial time as a primary component of the sentence.
• The explicit lifetime animal-contact prohibition described above, written with no loopholes.
• Restitution for all documented public and custodial-care expenditures tied to seizure, treatment, housing/boarding, transport, and rehabilitation.
• Monitoring and verification sufficient to deter and detect violations (as permitted by Alaska pretrial/probation practice).
• Clear, immediate consequences for violations, including revocation/sanctions as authorised.
Please confirm this letter has been forwarded to the appropriate prosecutor(s) and will be duly considered in the State’s position regarding bail and case resolution. CARES remains committed to supporting accountability for those responsible for this cruelty. While most of our current information is based on reports and community concern rather than firsthand evidence, we welcome any guidance on how interested parties may stay informed or provide substantiated information if it becomes available.
Kind regards,
Kirsten Pedersen, CVO
On behalf of CARES: Canine Alaska Rescue Establishment and Sanctuary
Phone: 907.746.4181
Email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected])
Website:
www.caresak.org (http://www.caresak.org)
