West Virginia daily

Craig Miller and his wife, Lori Santoro, rescued Sydney six years ago from the side of the highway.

She was malnourished and a little on the rough side, but the determined animal lovers scooped her up nevertheless.

The German shepherd/golden retriever mix matured into a loyal companion and trusted friend.

"She knew when to be kind and she knew when to bark," Lori Santoro said. "She was just a great dog, and she was part of our family."

Sydney died 10 days after the family's West Knoxville veterinarian diagnosed her with tongue cancer last month.

Like it had done with scores of dogs before her, the staff at Cedar Bluff Animal Clinic contracted with RossAnn Services to cremate the pet and return the ashes to the Millers.

"Within 30 minutes RossAnn came and got her, and we never saw her again," Lori Santoro said.

Instead of placing Sydney's ashes next to Shelby's, the family's other deceased dog, the Millers are involved in a criminal investigation spanning two states.

The family is unsure if Sydney was among the 150 dog carcasses and remains found tossed along the side of a rural Virginia road in March and linked to RossAnn Services of North Knoxville. Or if she was among 30 sets of remains cleaned out of RossAnn's facility this month.

"It's incredibly painful to know her body was treated with such disrespect," Santoro said.

When Craig Miller's investigation of Sydney's whereabouts led him to the former Van Street crematory, he met a man who identified himself as an employee.

The man said he did not know where the Miller's dog was but provided a 4-by-6-inch piece of blue plaster with what he said was Sydney's paw print.

"How do you even know whose paw this is?" Miller said.

The News Sentinel has been unable to contact Mikel Lateef Bradley, owner of RossAnn Services, despite several calls and visits to his South Knoxville apartment and North Knoxville business.The Millers realize the odds are slim they will ever receive closure.

They also know many others around East Tennessee will wonder about their pets after learning of RossAnn's collapse

"I don't believe it's just us," Santoro said. "I'm sure there are many people who are wondering what has happened to (their) animal."

This is cache, read story here