Madison Zaleski
•3/26/2026

The Lee County Sheriff's Office arrested a woman who is accused of killing her dog and burying it outside her home.
Lee County deputies responded to a home on Lemon Road, where they learned the suspect, Colleen Rae Talley, was accused of killing her Cane Corso by suffocating it with a trash bag. When deputies searched the property, they reportedly found the dog buried beneath a tree in the yard.
"It's absolutely disgusting and heartbreaking at the same time," said neighbor Amber Welsh.
Welsh said she often saw her neighbor's dog walking down the street.
"It's absolutely horrifying. I personally feel like if you can do something like that to something so innocent that literally looks up to you as a whole world, I feel like you'd be capable of just about anything," said Welsh.
It all started when a family member called the sheriff's office to report the dead dog. According to the arrest report, Talley reportedly called that family member and said her dog was in the trash can outside. The sheriff said Talley claimed her dog was sick.
"It's disturbing that we still have these cases. I don't understand what it takes to make people understand. You're not going to hurt animals, and a person that hurts an animal is a very sick, disgusting, disgraceful person. You hurt an animal in Lee County, I promise you, every resource I have is coming out, and we'll come in after you, and we'll put you in jail," said Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno.
LCSO said the dog was taken to the Lee County Domestic Animal Services for further examination.
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