Last week, Annie Jarabek's 12-year-old cat, Buckeye, slipped out the door only to be mauled by a pack of stray dogs. The next morning, neighbor Jennifer Chapman found the lifeless cat in her front yard.
"I've got a cat, too. It's scary," Chapman said.
Animal control officers say they have been swamped with frantic calls and received more than 100 requests to set traps in the neighborhood, but the animals are tough to track down.
"After we catch one or two dogs, we're finished. They know the trick. They're not so dumb," said animal control officer Gilles Meloche.
Buckeye was one of two cats killed in the Watts-Hillandale area. Neighbors are understandably upset.
"I mean you know cats and dogs don't agree, but if they are killing cats, what's next?" Jarabek said.
The dogs are not really concentrated in one particular area. Animal control officers say the dogs probably use the city's trails and greenways systems to roam from neighborhood to neighborhood.
Authorities say that if you see a pack of stray dogs, do not approach them. You should call animal control or call 911.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
