The police suspect that a dog breeder found dead at his home in central Colorado last week was killed, and they are tracking down his missing Doberman puppies to help their investigation into his death, according to the Clear Creek County Sheriff’s office.

The breeder, Paul Peavey, 57, was last heard from on the evening of Aug. 19 and reported missing two days later. His body was discovered on his property in Idaho Springs, Colo., on Saturday by a search party made up of concerned community members.

The police are investigating the death as a possible homicide and are tracking down as many as 10 missing puppies, which may have been taken and sold through social media or by other means, according to a Facebook post from the police. Mr. Peavey’s cause of death has not been determined yet. His autopsy will be completed on Wednesday, according to Jenny Fulton, the public information officer for the Cedar Creek County Sheriff’s Office.

The police said in the post that they do not believe the public is in imminent danger.

Several community members, including some of those in the search party, informed the police that puppies were missing. The police confirmed this was true during their investigation. Some of those 10 puppies may have been bought already through Mr. Peavey’s business, but he was not able to deliver them to their owners before his death.

Each of Mr. Peavey’s puppies were microchipped, and the police asked nearby residents who had purchased a Doberman puppy in recent weeks to have their pets checked for a microchip. Cedar Creek County police said that anyone who had bought a puppy from Mr. Peavey’s business since June 2024 should contact them.

Mr. Peavey was a breeder of European Dobermans and delivered two litters a year, according to his website. He had posted on his website that there was a litter to be delivered in mid-July. Mr. Peavey raised his Dobermans on a 110-acre property in Idaho Springs, a mountain town about 30 miles west of Denver.

His three adult Doberman dogs were found safe on the property and are at the local animal shelter, according to Ms. Fulton.

Ms. Fulton told The New York Times on Tuesday that there was no information that the office could share on suspects or motives. No puppies have been found at this point, and Ms. Fulton said her office hoped to locate them and release them to appropriate homes.