The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office says it has cited a dog owner on China Hat Road after his pack of dogs were accused of attacking another dog.
According to a Feb. 8 post on the Lost and Found Pets in Deschutes County Facebook page, a woman was out walking her dog when it was attacked by seven “Airedale terriers.”
An update to that post states by the woman claims she is not the only one who has witnessed a dog attack in that area. We counted three Facebook posts made within the last week, reporting attacks from seven dogs matching those descriptions.
Central Oregon Daily News spoke with veterinarian Dr. Ruth Loomis of Brookswood Animal Clinic, who said their clinic has treated three dogs total whose owners have reported very similar attacks.
“It’s hard to think that this is not the same pack of dogs that are that are responsible for these attacks,” Loomis said.
Loomis’s own dog was a victim of an attack in 2021, from a pack of dogs that fits the description. It happened near her Sunriver home, where she believes the dogs’ owner used to live.
“My husband was out walking…a few dogs came out of the bushes. And then at that point my husband counted eight dogs, and they surrounded my older dog who was slower.” Loomis said. “My younger dog took off…[the older dog] hunkered down and they just started to attack her. My husband had to step in and lift her away from them as they were still jumping at her.”
She said the dogs’ owner did approach them and try to help pull his dogs off, but he did attempt to blame Loomis’s dog for provoking the fight.
“She had some some pretty severe lacerations all over her back, and on her back, on one of her front legs,” she said.
The swift social media reaction to the attacks in recent weeks caught the attention of the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office.
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In an update on Monday, DCSO said the owner of the “suspected offending K-9’s has been located and issued a citation for 2 counts of Animal Nuisance.”
“If it’s deemed that the individual cannot care for the dogs or maintain the dogs in a safe manner, there may be stiffer penalties and there may be chances that the animals are seized,” Sergeant Jason Wall told Central Oregon Daily News on Tuesday.
For now, the pack of dogs may still be roaming in the area.
“Until the situation is better under control, I think the safest thing is for people just to not walk in the area where these attacks are happening,” Loomis said.
All of the attacked dogs have survived their injuries.
