Police on hunt for pack of vicious dogs

The pack, comprising four to six dogs, roams from Woodland Trail and Dogwood Trail, across Deer Trail Country Club, to Traynham Road and Waterworks Road. To date, police and animal control officials have not been able to trap or shoot the dogs, although a Waterworks Road resident reportedly shot and killed one of the pack.

That doesn’t sit well with Stephanie Nicholson, whose 32-pound black cocker spaniel is recovering from Saturday’s attack. “Squirt” suffered a four-inch gash to a hip, 10 puncture wounds and a punctured limb when the dogs attacked.

“He’s just got massive, massive bites,” she said.

The vet bills are one thing. Saturday's bill alone was almost $700 and the daily charge runs about $100. “It’s costing me $100 a day and I’m really ticked off about it,” Mrs. Nicholson said. But it could have been worse. “That could have been my child,” she noted.

In fact, one of the dogs on a previous occasion came up into the carport where the Nicholson’s daughter, Leah, 4, was playing, snatched a doll and ran off.

Her husband, Mike, saw the attack, knew Squirt was involved, and began shooting to scare the dogs away, according to Mrs. Nicholson.

Four were involved in the Saturday incident. Mrs. Nicholson described them as a mostly black (and some tan) German shepherd, a Brindle boxer with a silver spike collar, a black dog that could be a lab mix, and a short, white long-haired dog.

Mrs. Nicholson said she had a call into police chief John Gaissert and planned to see sheriff Stan Evans.

City manager Clarence Bryant, who lives two doors down from where the attack occurred, briefed Gaissert on the incident Monday morning.
The police chief pointed out that his officers have killed two dogs this year and animal control officer Ben Mathis has trapped four in the same area.

The Saturday incident ups the stakes.

“Because they have been demonstrated to be hostile and have already hurt domesticated animals, they are clearly an existential threat to children, small adults or the elderly,” the chief said. “We are going to have to deal with these animals.”

Several traps have been set out in hopes of catching the dogs, but Gaissert confirmed the right of people in the area to shoot the dogs should they encounter them.

“We would prefer for the police to deal with them. We don’t want people out hunting them, but state law says you can defend your property,” he said. “You can defend your home, your property and your children. In the same breath, I have to say you’ve got to watch what you’re doing. You’re responsible for that round.”

The department’s watch commanders have made eliminating the pack a priority, Gaissert said, and he asked that anyone who spots the dogs to call 911.

“Also, please don’t feed these dogs,” he added. “We have had reports that some folks have fed them in the vicinity.”