A couple that ran a canine rescue in Browns Mills, Burlington County, were charged with animal cruelty and related charges after shooting a dog in the head.
Prosecutors announced a series of charges against Thomas and Brooke Thompson, who ran Gone Rogue Girls Rescue, for an incident where a witness said Thomas Thompson shot a dog named Biggie Smalls in the head inside a foster’s home.
The Thompsons were at the foster’s home in Mullica Hill to give the dog vaccinations, the foster reported to police in April 2026. But when the Thompsons arrived, the dog became aggressive and tried to bite Brooke Thompson, leading to Thomas Thompson pulling out a gun from his waistband and shooting and killing the dog.
The Thompsons then took the dead dog with them, the foster told police.
Around a month later, Gone Rogue Girls Rescue posted an online fundraiser for Biggie Smalls, who the organization claimed had been humanely euthanized after getting diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Brooke Thompson was charged with theft by deception for the fundraiser, prosecutors said.
The Thompsons were taken into custody Thursday after investigators searched their home, where they found 12 dogs in overcrowded conditions and were covered with urine and feces, prosecutors said.
Thomas Thompson was also charged with two counts of unlawful possession of weapons.
Last month, ACCT Philly said they were trying to track down dogs that had been sent to Gone Rogue Girls Rescue after the rescue’s website and social media went offline.
The investigation into the Thompsons remains ongoing and officials said they are looking into other allegations of illegally euthanizing dogs
Anyone with information was asked to reach out to the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office at https://burlpros.org/tips.
