Honoring Her Sister: Pet Shelter Drive Marks 43 Years Since Kelly Bergh Dove's Disappearance

Forty-three years have passed since Kelly Bergh Dove disappeared from a gas station in Harrisonburg—but her sister Elaine isn’t letting her memory fade quietly. This year, she’s turning pain into purpose by organizing a pet food drive in Kelly’s name, honoring her sister’s deep love for animals while continuing the fight for answers.

In a gesture rooted in love and remembrance, Elaine Bergh began a pet food drive to honor her sister Kelly’s affection for animals. Moved by childhood memories—like Kelly slipping lunch meat to stray cats—Elaine aimed to gather 43 cans of pet food, symbolizing each year since her sister’s disappearance.

She quickly surpassed that goal.

“Within a day of posting the idea online, I had already received over 60 cans,” Elaine said. “The response has been incredible—it makes me feel like people still care, and we’re not alone in this.”

The drive supports the Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA, which is currently caring for dozens of recently rescued dogs. Elaine is encouraging donations of soft canned food, particularly Hill’s Science Diet, as well as old towels and blankets. Items can be dropped off at the RHSPCA or ordered through the Amazon wish list.

While the initiative brings comfort, the grief remains. Kelly was only 20 years old when she disappeared during an overnight shift at the Imperial Gas Station in 1982. Despite years of searching, the case remains unsolved—but far from forgotten.

The Cold Case That Still Lingers

In the early hours of June 18, 1982, 20-year-old Kelly Bergh Dove made three urgent 911 calls from the Imperial gas station in Harrisonburg, where she worked the overnight shift. During the first call, she reported receiving an obscene phone call and mentioned a man who had entered the store wearing inappropriate clothing, asking police to keep watch over her. Just two minutes later, in a follow-up call, she provided a description of the man’s vehicle—a silver Ford.

By 2:31 a.m., Kelly had made a final, urgent call to police, reporting that the man was still lingering near the gas station and pleading for help. However, when officers arrived moments later, Kelly was nowhere to be found, yet her purse and personal belongings remained untouched.

This moment marked the start of a mystery that would remain unsolved for decades.

“Nothing inside the gas station had been disturbed; it was as if she had simply walked away,” Captain Dan Claytor of the Harrisonburg Police Department told Dateline. Upon confirming Kelly’s disappearance, authorities promptly notified the Bergh family.

“I remember being awakened,” Elaine recounted to Dateline. “My mother said, ‘They can’t find her. We need to find her.’” Elaine recalled searching the field behind the store, hoping for any sign of Kelly. But Kelly was nowhere to be found in that field—or anywhere else. Since that day, no one has seen or heard from her.

The Bergh’s were deeply shaken by Kelly’s disappearance, particularly given that she worked alongside her sisters Deb, Rose, and Elaine at the gas station. Elaine informed officials that Kelly had always felt secure in her workplace, largely due to Deb’s role as a manager. “We felt so safe here,” said Elaine. “It shook our whole sense of security.”

The initial investigation was marred by significant oversights, including the failure to promptly secure the scene, collect fingerprints, or treat the location as a crime scene. “I remember customers still walking into the store after she was gone." Elaine recalled “It didn’t feel like the urgency was there.”

Kelly was declared legally dead in 1989, but in 2020, the Harrisonburg Police Department reopened the case. Sergeant Brooke Wetherell has since led the renewed investigation and says they’ve narrowed in on a single suspect.

“We’re in that difficult space where we feel strongly we know who did this—but proving it beyond a doubt is another matter,” Wetherell said.

With the passage of time, new challenges have emerged: degraded DNA evidence, missing witnesses, and incomplete records. Still, Wetherell says progress is being made. The department is seeking further lab testing and potential new interviews to strengthen their case.

Elaine is still clinging to hope.“There are days where it’s hard to keep believing, but I have family and friends who remind me not to give up,” she said. “I want justice for my parents more than anything—I want them to see this resolved before it’s too late.”

Her message to the person responsible is simple and resolute: “We’re not giving up. You will face judgment—one way or another.”

Kelly Bergh-Dove would be 63 years old today. At the time of her disappearance, Kelly was described as being 5’1” tall, weighing 105 lbs. and having brown hair. If you have any information on the circumstances surrounding Kelly’s disappearance, please contact the Harrisonburg Police Department at (540) 434-2545.

SOURCE: WHSV3, NBC News

Laura