NPS says animal rescue groups can work with them to catch stray dogs on Blue Ridge Parkway

The National Park Service is asking animal rescue groups to contact them about rescuing two stray dogs that have been seen along the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The dogs -- one brown and one white -- have been spotted along the parkway in western North Carolina since at least March. 

An online petition calling for the dogs to be rescued had more than 400 signatures on Wednesday morning.

"For the past five weeks, I have been earning the trust of abandoned dogs along the Blue Ridge Parkway, coming close to bringing them to safety," petition author Kelly Williams wrote, "However, everything changed when the Parkway was abruptly closed, allegedly to help trap these dogs."

The National Park Service closed a section of the Blue Ridge Parkway last week as rangers worked to trap the dogs after they were seen in the Waterrock Knob area. At the time, NPS warned parkgoers that the dogs had been aggressive at times toward people and animals in the area.

NPS released a statement on the matter Wednesday.

"On April 18, National Park Service rangers responded to a report of two presumed abandoned, unidentified dogs demonstrating aggression toward both humans and other animals near milepost 451 on the Blue Ridge Parkway. As a precaution, a section of the parkway in that area was temporarily closed and reopened twice. The area reopened on April 24, after several days without dog sightings. As of April 27, at least one of the dogs has again been observed in the area. Parkway staff, in coordination with local county partners, continue to monitor the area and work to safely remove the dog(s). The NPS continues to request public cooperation for the safety of park visitors and animals, both domestic and wild. If there are qualified animal rescue groups that are interested in coordinating a rescue attempt with the NPS, they are asked to contact blri_info@nps.gov. Otherwise, park visitors are asked not to feed or capture any dogs off leash and notify park officials immediately."

The parkway is back open, but the dogs haven't been captured.

Some local animal lovers and rescue groups have previously expressed frustration because the National Park Service wouldn't let volunteer search-and-rescue groups try to capture the dogs. The NPS said it's to ensure visitor safety, protect wildlife and minimize interference with official operations.

Williams, who started the petition, also sent a letter to Jessica Bowron, the acting NPS director, asking for cooperation between the agency and local rescue organizations.

Rangers asked parkgoers to notify them if they see a dog off-leash in the area and to not approach or feed the dogs.