"These aren't your everyday Dobermans," fellow Doberman breeder Meredith Mazutis tells Inside Edition.
Dog breeder Paul Peavey was found shot to death on his property outside Denver, Colorado, and 10 of his high-priced Doberman puppies are missing. Many are questioning he was killed over the puppies.
"It's brutal. It's just brutal. It's heartbreaking," fellow Doberman breeder Meredith Mazutis tells Inside Edition.
Mazutis says the missing puppies are purebred and are sold for an estimated $4,500 each.
"These aren't your everyday Dobermans," Mazutis says. "These are high-bred European Dobermans with champion bloodlines that were imported from Europe."
Many breeders are worried that they might also be targeted by thieves trying to steal their purebred puppies.
"I do know some breeders who will no longer let people come to their house. They'll meet people in the local parking lots," Joseph Guinta of Holloway Dobermans in New York City tells Inside Edition.
Bryce Peavler says he had an appointment at a campground to buy one of the puppies from Peavey.
He texted the breeder, "Just want to confirm - we are good for 10am tomorrow?
"I never heard back so at that point my wife actually just Googled his name and that's when we saw the news and we were devastated," Peavler says.
Mazutis says she believes he was targeted because he is a breeder. "Paul was a big man. For them to take Paul down like they did and do what they did, it's scary."
