Stray Dogs Have Attacked And Killed Two People In Texas
A 36-year-old Austin, Texas, woman was killed by a pack of stray dogs this week. One month earlier, a 52-year-old woman was attacked and killed by dogs in downtown Dallas.
On Wednesday, Erin McClesky, was killed while she was serving civil papers at a Northeast Travis County home, Fox News reported.
No one was home when McClesky entered the property, according to reports. Several hours later, a caretaker for the dogs reportedly found McClesky’s body.
Six dogs were taken by the Austin Animal Center, where they are being checked for rabies. After 10 days of quarantine, a Travis County judge will decide what should be done with the dogs, according to Fox News.
It marked the second time in as many months that stray dogs have killed someone Texas. In both cases, it is not yet clear if the owners of the dogs will face criminal charges.
Another fatal attack by a pack of stray dogs happened in May in Dallas, a city with a stray dog problem in parts of downtown.
Antoinette Brown, 52, was bitten more than 100 times by a pack of dogs on Rutledge Street, Southern Dallas, in May, according to the Dallas Morning News. The dogs had torn off her skin, exposing muscle and tendons.
During the attack, Brown was heard screaming for help. News reports indicated the dogs ripped her apart as if they were tearing into a steak.
She was placed in a medically-induced coma and later taken off of life support. Brown had worked as a housekeeper and served in the Army.
City officials admitted to the DMN that they failed to see the pattern and take corrective action.
Police claimed the news of the attack was initially kept out of the press because they wanted to seize the dogs and gather as much evidence as possible.
A high contrast is seen in the way pets live in the city. In upscale areas of Dallas, pets live pampered lives. Some restaurants and businesses allow owners to bring along their dogs. Many specialty shops sell expensive accessories and treats. And there is no shortage of luxury pet spas and boarding resorts.
In the poorer areas, pets suffer. They are left to fend for themselves and fight off or join with other stray dogs running the streets. They often survive by rummaging through trash and dodging traffic.
Critics have questioned whether the city is aggressively and thoroughly trying to change loose dogs problem. They question if the problem is allowed to exist because it is primarily afflicting low-income areas.
Another problem is that city leaders have snubbed street dog rescuers who “understand the situation far better than many who are paid to deal with our animal population,” wrote the DMN.
One of the photos captured by the DMN shows a dog standing in front of a home that is boarded up. The owners simply moved away and left the dog there, something that people who advocate for animals would never be able to comprehend.
What once were – or could have been – lovable pets can turn violent after they are abandoned.
Feral dogs, for example, can exist without any intervention or assistance from people.
“While it is true that some feral dogs use human garbage for food, others acquire their primary subsistence by hunting and scavenging like other wild (animals),” the website states.
And they do not welcome human contact.
This can be observed by how both types of dogs react while they are in cages. Domestic dogs will usually wag their tails and act happy when a person approaches. But a feral dog will growl, bark, and attempt to bite.
[Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images]
