Oklahoma Man Arrested in St. Louis After 4 Dogs Found Dead, 7 in Critical Condition

NOBLE, Okla. (KFOR) — An Oklahoma man is facing serious animal cruelty charges after police in St. Louis discovered four dead dogs and seven more in critical condition inside his transport truck.

Robert Peters, 38, of Noble, Oklahoma, was arrested Friday and charged Saturday with 16 counts of animal abuse — nine of them felonies — after showing up at a St. Louis crematorium with four deceased dogs and requesting cremation services.

Crematorium Staff Grew Suspicious

While pet cremation requests aren’t unusual, the volume of deceased animals raised alarms for the crematorium staff, who then called police. When officers arrived and inspected Peters’ box truck, they found multiple dog crates stacked on top of each other. The surviving dogs were covered in feces, urine, and a sawdust-like powder.

The dogs appeared lethargic and were suffering from extreme heat in the unventilated back of the vehicle.

Peters Claims to Run Animal Transport Business

Peters told police that he and his wife operated an animal transportation business out of their home in Oklahoma. Authorities contacted St. Louis Animal Control, which took custody of the dogs and is preparing a status report for each animal.

Rescue Organization Speaks Out

One of the dogs in the truck, named Captain, was being transported for Gone Rogue Girls Rescue in New Jersey. Brooke Thompson, the organization’s president and founder, said they lost contact during the transport and quickly became worried.

“It went silent and we were, you know, pretty concerned,” Thompson said.
“We want everything to the fullest extent for the justice of not just Captain, but all of the dogs.”

Captain is alive, but the rescue group is considering legal action.

Facing Justice

Peters is currently being held without bond in St. Louis and is expected to appear in court Tuesday afternoon.

This case has ignited outrage among animal rescue groups and advocates, who are calling for maximum penalties to be enforced in light of the suffering and deaths involved. Authorities continue to investigate the broader scope of the transportation operation and whether additional animals or organizations may have been impacted.

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