[Epona142]

http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/hill ... rm_animals

Pack of dogs attack,
kill farm animals
Dogs dug under a chainlink fence

Last Edited: Thursday, 29 Jan 2009, 9:47 PM CST
Created On: Thursday, 29 Jan 2009, 12:11 PM CST

* Erin Cargile

LAKEWAY, Texas (KXAN) -

A pack of six dogs running loose in Lakeway attacked and killed 30 goats, including 12 baby goats, 29 chickens, one peacock and a turkey overnight, costing their owners more than $40,000 in livestock.

Granger Pope, the owner's son, discovered the bloody scene when he arrived on his family's four-acre farm at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. He spotted the dogs trying to make a getaway. Pope shot and killed a tan-colored pit bull that was in the pen with a dozen dead baby goats scattered on the ground. He also killed two more with his shotgun: an Australian shepherd/Border Collie mix and a Lab mix.

Two tan dogs and one black are still on the loose. None of the dogs were wearing collars. Lakeway Police spent the morning gathering evidence from the scene in the 50000 block of Nightingale Lane.

Pope pointed out the spot under the six-foot chainlink fence, with barbed wire at the bottom, where he watched one of the dogs narrowly escape his shotgun blast.

The miniature donkeys were not harmed, but were shaking with fear when the family arrived, Pope said. The Pope family has owned the land for 22 years. About a month ago an animal got in and killed some of their rabbits.

Police said there has only been one other similar case in Lakeway. The city does have an ordinance requiring dogs to be on leashes. If the owners of the dogs that killed the Pope's animals are found, they will face animal-attack charges.

Citizens are urged to keep an eye out for the three medium-sized dogs responsible for the attack. Pope spotted two tan dogs and one black dog escaping. Police said the loose dogs are not considered a threat to humans but could harm other animals.

A darn good reminder that loose dogs are a danger to us all. I really feel for this family.

 

[liz]

How terrible! That had to be very traumatic to walk into......around here it's a given that the farm dogs "roam"...I've not had any issues yet but there is a "understanding" among all of us that if a issue comes up with ANY dog, it will get lead poisoning, this includes my own.

 

[K-Ro]

Yep very sad, I seen this the other day when they showed it, these weren't just loose farm dogs, on the TV report they claimed they were a pack of wild dogs as there were no tags on them.

Doesn't matter to me, thankfully we don't get many strays or 'wild' ones out here, in the 3 1/2 years we have been here, there has been 1 dog wandering down our road, and luckily for him, he had tags on with owner info or he'd a been a goner.

 

[sweetgoats]

OH Man, I have to say I could not read the whole story. It just makes me sick.

In a town not far from me like 8 miles they have city people that when they do not want a dog anymore they turn them lose out there. They have killed more livestock and 4H animals it is just sick. I due feel bad for the dogs because they are just trying to survive and but it can not be done. They finally put traps out there and if they trapped a dog that did not have tags or a micro chip they would put the dog down. I just wish they could fine the people that dumped the dogs and put them down.

 

[Epona142]

Living where I live, 11 miles deep into the woods on dirt roads, dogs get dumped all the time. I would tell have many dogs I've shot, but it would just make me sad.

Out here they join up in packs like in the news story and kill calves. My neighbor's (well he's three miles down the road) boer goats were attacked back when I first got goats; they killed three goats and took a huge chunk out of his kid's nubian 4-H goat.

I no longer allow any dog I don't recognize even on my property.

If people are going to dump their dogs, at least dump them at the shelter. :sigh: