A Nebraska woman is looking for help in finding the person, or people, who tied her 11-month-old Siberian husky to railroad tracks near Lake McConaughy, where he was struck by a train.
Kobe was tethered outside his home May 27 when he broke free and disappeared.
The dog’s body was found Saturday, tied to tracks between the Sandy Beach and North Shore access roads to the lake, said Kobe’s owner, Randee Romine.
Whoever left him there used what was left of the same lead that Kobe snapped when he broke free.
“It was knotted to the railroad track — someone intentionally did it,” Romine said. “They used the same leash.”
Lake McConaughy is about 225 miles northeast of Denver, and the area is a popular getaway for Front Range residents.
The husky was killed over Memorial Day weekend, and Romine contacted The Denver Post hoping that someone from Colorado who spent the holiday there might have seen something that could lead to a suspect.
Romine, family and friends put up missing posters in the area of the North Shore Lodge on the morning of May 28.
“He was a pretty dog, with blue eyes,” Romine said. “We just honestly thought that someone found him and snapped him up. We never thought someone would tie him up like that.”
On Saturday morning, the Keith County Sheriff’s Office contacted Romine to say Kobe had been found dead.
Keith County Crimestoppers will pay a cash reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or people responsible. Romine and her family are offering another $500.
Thousands of Coloradans stream to Lake McConaughy for weekend getaways, and Nebraska officials estimate visitors over the holiday weekend reached 13,000 daily.
Romine, who lives and works near the lake, said many North Shore Lodge visitors are from Denver and the Front Range. “We’re trying to get the word out so hopefully somebody comes forward or someone has some information,” she said.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822 or knicholson@denverpost.com
Information wanted
Anyone with information can call 308-284-4600 or go to to submit tips online.
Tipsters can remain anonymous.
Kobe had been tied to railroad tracks near the lake before being killed by a train. Randee Romine, Special to The Denver Post
