Washington Dog Pack Kills 100 Animals, Terrorizes Town

SPOKANE, Wash. — A "bloodthirsty" pack of dogs has killed about 100 animals in the past few months while eluding law enforcement and volunteers in northeastern Washington state, residents and authorities said.

The killings started in late March and have occurred in a wide area of mountains and valleys west of Deer Park, a small town about 40 miles north of Spokane.

"Trying to figure out where they are going to hit is next to impossible," Stevens County Undersheriff Lavonne Webb said Thursday. "Nobody is claiming ownership of any animals involved in the pack."

Most recently, the dogs killed a 350-pound llama Tuesday night. They've also killed goats and other farm animals.

So far, no humans have been attacked. But authorities are warning residents to take whatever steps are necessary to protect their families and animals because the dogs appear to be killing for fun rather than food.

"We have this pack that is out there killing for the sake of killing," Webb said in a telephone interview from Colville. "What is going to happen if they come across a small child?"

Officers and volunteers have searched for the pack but had little success because the dogs seem to hunker down during the day and move only at night, she said. "We've only had one or two sightings during daytime hours."

One resident managed to take some photographs of the pack, and it seemed to include four or five large dogs. It's not clear if the dogs are wild or if some or all go home to owners during the day, Webb said. Their breeds also are unknown.

Webb added she has worked for the sheriff's office since the 1970s and never encountered a similar problem. The number of kills alone makes the attacks a "major issue," she said.

Deer Park resident Temma Davis agreed, telling KXLY-TV that neighbors are worried about kids getting off school buses or riding their bikes.

"They're bloodthirsty," she said of the dogs.

Davis compared the experience to the 1980s Stephen King book and movie about a vicious killer dog. "It's like `Cujo,'" she said.

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Information from: KXLY-TV, http://www.kxly.com/

Comments

[jasperN]

07:11 AM on 06/16/2011

Those wild dogs are dangerous but still we should see to it that we will only fire our guns if it's really necessary. The town people should always be on the alert, because this kinds of wild animals that only attack on night time are unpredictable. Three of the canines were recently murdered after almost 100 animals, most of which were animals, were slaughtered by dog attacks. The proof is here: Three lethal, wild dogs killed in Washington State.

[ItsGettingWeird]

10:22 AM on 06/14/2011

Somewhere, there's a pack of bloodthirsty French poodles...

[IrieMoon]

02:52 PM on 06/13/2011

This happened in the valley I grew up in. A pack of 5 dogs killed every single sheep on our neighbors farm and was going for our goats when my brother and I shot 4 out of the 5 dogs. We don't know what ever happened to the 5th dog but we never saw it again. The saddest part of what happened was that it could have been avoided if the dogs owners were simply more responsible and had found homes for their dogs instead of just releasing them "into the wild" when they moved from the area. Hopefully these dogs will be stopped.

[bcmom]

11:14 AM on 06/13/2011

Enough of this story please. It makes no difference. You can't stop stupid. People are going to continue to dump and breed. Off to animal control to see how many have been dumped over the weekend and will end up being euthanized.

[keep it solid]

10:32 AM on 06/13/2011

Speculating on the subject, the fact that they are not doing this for food but rather for sport is very important. They do need to satisfy their appetites / thirst and go about this how?
My guess would be that there is participation from "home" dogs.

[LeftLeanWing]

10:16 PM on 06/12/2011

Is this Sarah Palin's Sorority of Lipstickled PitBulls ? _____________________________

[LeftoftheLeft]

10:10 PM on 06/12/2011

We moved to Utah from the Midwest 15 years ago - And I'm constantly appalled at the way dogs are treated here.

There's a big problem (that's gotten bigger since the economy tanked) with people who no longer want their dogs taking them out into the country and letting them loose to fend for themselves. Except they can't fend for themselves unless they form a pack with other dogs.

Also, our ex-neighbors used to keep their beautiful dog tied to a tree on a short rope and just ignore him except to bring him food and water. I intervened and (somehow) got them to move him closer to the house and get him a dog house and pay some attention to him and get him a line so he could run at least.

Our current neighbors, (in the same house), keep two little dogs on their back deck 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They give them food and water and they have a little dog house to share, but other than that I have never once seen anyone paying the slightest bit of attention to them. (We live on a hill above them so our house has a clear view of theirs, unfortunately.) I have tried to intervene on the dogs behalf to no avail - seeing them there breaks my heart on a daily basis.

I could go on and on...

Why people like this even have dogs is completely beyond me.

[Judith Jaehn]

12:23 PM on 06/15/2011

Wonderful post, LeftoftheLeft!!!
Fanned and Faved!

[Watching rock grow]

05:22 PM on 06/12/2011

Dogs getting the best of trackers?

[dbrockskk]

04:37 PM on 06/12/2011

Except Cujo had an "excuse". He was rabid. This is horrific.

[mallie888]

03:51 PM on 06/12/2011

I lived in Alabama once upon a time, and they had a problem with wild dog packs, except they weren't wild dogs; they were domestic dogs running together. A couple of guys I know would hire out to hunt them down and shoot them. It happens anywhere there are strays or domestic dogs allowed to run free, because they are pack animals and band together. That's when their mentality changes. The are predators. Spokane needs to find some bounty hunters to get them under control, or bait the dogs for capture and exterminate them. No one should have to worry about walking around with a dog pack running loose. There may be the possibility of rabies, also, that's causing them to act in unusual ways. So they need to be brought under control fast.

[JackTheSkipper]

01:13 PM on 06/12/2011

I have no doubt they are all rottweilers, dobermans, boxers and pitt bulls. These breeds should be illegal to own in any state.

[Gina Marie Ochoa]

01:49 PM on 06/12/2011

This is an ignorant statement. I have a doberman, and he is the most loving dog that I have ever owned. He loves my cats and sleeps with them and takes care of them. Do your research before you start accusing.

[James Leo]

02:50 PM on 06/12/2011

Its not the breed its the owners and the training that makes viscous dogs
Everybody so worried about wolves and coyotes but I have never heard of either doing this level of damage

[mallie888]

03:53 PM on 06/12/2011

My sister raises French Mastiffs that weigh in around 140 to 150 fully grown, and they're the biggest chickens to ever walk. But together they are still a pack and could bring down a grown man should they be inclined. No one should be allowed to own any dog unless they're responsible.

[its2simple4u]

12:30 PM on 06/12/2011

They should capture and breed the dogs to guard our borders.

[KrautMan]

03:24 PM on 06/12/2011

Count me in! IF we ca feed you to them.

[Mischka Lauren]

11:36 AM on 06/12/2011

My parents lived near a small town, Vesta, MN on a farm. There was a pack of farm dogs that would run around. They killed hundreds of deer, cows, pigs-you name it. My parents were worried sick about the kids having to get off the bus, so they would stay with them. My dad said he would see the dogs crossing the road in the distance...two would cross, the rest would crouch down and wait. Then two more would cross, etc. He said they were like an army. He'd see which way they were going and warn the farmers.
Among the pack, a Great Dane, German Shepard, Collies, you name it...it doesn't matter the breed. Once they are in the pack, they are a different animal. When it was all over, they would go home. The DNR had to take care of it, as did some farmers at night because it was as out of hand as this story, if not worse.

[captainindustry]

11:20 AM on 06/12/2011

Dogs? No my friends. These are Chupacabra. They can run 90 miles an hour and take 30 feet a jump. Wide across the middle and broad across the rump.

[peskime]

09:59 AM on 06/12/2011

As usual, misleading phpto

[Lucius Verenus]

05:31 PM on 06/12/2011

That's, like . . . an AOL trademark; ya know.