Pack of dogs abandoned by owner kills 11 goats in North Carolina, officials say
A pack of dogs is still on the loose after killing 11 goats in North Carolina, officials say.
Someone reported that three feral dogs, all German Shepherd mixes with white fur, attacked livestock this month, Cumberland County Animal Services said Thursday in a news release.
This spring, officials say they started to receive reports that an unidentified owner abandoned several dogs. Though one dog was taken to an animal rescue, others in the group have remained elusive, according to Cumberland County officials.
“The areas the dogs have been sighted in are heavily populated, with pockets of thickly overgrown woods, which has made capturing them very difficult,” Elaine Smith, animal services director, said in the news release. “The dogs have also traveled more than 2 ½ miles from their original sighting.”
Animal services officials say the dogs mauled 11 goats to death in three attacks near Bonanza Drive in the Westover area, northwest of downtown Fayetteville.
Now, officials are asking for the public’s help with tracking down the dogs. Officials on Thursday made a Facebook post with photos showing the German Shepherd mixes near wooded areas.
The county’s animal services department says it is trying to “humanely capture the dogs with the use of tranquilizer darts, special traps and snares.”
“We need public assistance in reporting the location of the dogs so that we can continue efforts to contain them,” Smith said, according to the news release. “The dogs have not been aggressive toward people, and we have not been able to get within 50 feet of them.”
Anyone who sees the dogs or evidence of an attack is asked to contact the county’s animal services at 910-321-6852. Outside of normal business hours, officials say reports also can be made to Cumberland County deputies at 910-323-1500.
