Pack problem: Elephant Head residents grapple with stray/loose dogs

Residents have turned to the Elephant Head Facebook group to share their concerns ranging from attacks on livestock, people being chased and concerns for the safety of the dogs themselves.

Pima Animal Care Center has been called to the area several times and has an open investigation, but the dogs continue to roam. Residents fear it's not going to have a good ending.

Gone wild

Residents believe the dogs were individually dumped there and formed a pack to survive.

Arlinda Perry said the pack has been around for about three months, and she’s seen it grow from about three to six. 

“I encountered the feral pack picking my kids up from the bus stop and this is a huge concern to me,” she said. “These dogs are being aggressive around the neighborhood. I can’t even allow my kids to be at the bus stop alone without worrying about them being attacked by a pack of dogs.”

Along with that, she, like many in the Elephant Head/Amado area, owns livestock.

“I’m concerned about them attacking my horses,” she said. “My horses are very important to my family and if one gets hurt because of these dogs I will take further action.”

Perry also has concerns about another group of non-aggressive dogs who regularly get loose from their owner's property and add to the problem.

“There is a huge concern for them getting hit by cars or cars getting in accidents trying to avoid them, their health as summer is coming and they are hot and thirsty,” she said. “They may not be mean now but it will lead to that over time if this continues to happen.”

Paige McCarver is a dog groomer and owner of Waggin’s West Southern Arizona in Amado. She said both groups of dogs are a big problem.

“The one (stray) pack is growing in numbers and the other involves irresponsible owners,” she said. “The ‘good’ pack isn't actually a 'good' pack because they are out running loose and they are picking up other dogs.”

McCarver sees multiple safety concerns with the dogs, especially if the groups merge or keep growing. 

“Everybody has dogs out here, including me," she said. "If you were bringing your dog out here that could cause a potential danger if somebody was dropping their dog off, getting out of the car and a pack of 20 dogs came up and attacked their dogs. They will attack a dog that's restrained. That dog is considered weak to them.”

She said the situation is a threat to the community.

“It’s a danger for the community and the area as far as livestock and we've already had somebody who was out walking and one of the packs tried to attack,” she said. “People can't go out and enjoy their community. We have people who come out to cycle and we also have people who walk in the area and they can't do so safely.”

Another resident, Melissa Hamer, said she has seen the feral pack grow as well.

“Before, it was just two loose pitbulls and I was able to stop once to check on them and one was friendly,” she said. “Then they started roaming with two others, a chow mix and a shepherd mix. Unfortunately, when I see them I'm on my way to work and can't do much about it.”

Others in the Facebook group have said the dogs have chased or harassed livestock, chased people and growled at them when they have shooed them away.

Animal control

Residents have called the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and were directed to county animal control officials.

Jay Williams is an admin of the Facebook page and said community members reached out to him for help. On Sunday, he decided to call Pima Animal Care Center.

“A couple guys took my statement and I was treated with curiosity and interest,” he said. “They really tried to do their very best and I was thrilled they would be taking a statement to potentially get something done.”

Williams said the situation is concerning because of the encounters he’s heard from the community.

“It terrifies me. One woman who shooed them off has young children at home,” he said. “I'd like to help. I'm concerned for my neighbors’ safety. I don't want to see it go bad.”

He said the dogs have come through his property, though he hasn’t had a bad run-in with them. However, he said the dogs are aggressive and have bloodied his neighbor's cow.

PACC spokesperson Kayleigh Murdock said they have received four calls in the last two months in the area related to dog packs.

“Officers have met with the complainants and taken statements as well as followed leads with inconclusive results,” she said. “PACC officers have not been able to definitively identify the dogs, and based on the descriptions given, the dogs have not been positively identified or otherwise linked to these cases.”

“We have not received any reports of injury to animals or humans related to these calls," she said. 

She said the investigation remains open.

PACC Officer Danielle Hinte said the descriptions of dogs in the area have been “relatively vague,” but animal control officers have been out to the area at least once in the last couple weeks.

“I can tell you the case is still open and with our staffing, officers have been responding to emergency calls. They get to these open calls between those other cases.”

“I think the ideal would be continuing working with the complainants and hopefully find an owner if one exists. We would pursue capturing the dogs if it is a public safety concern.”

Hinte said when they investigate cases like this they work to get statements from any witnesses or victims and do their best to locate a dog’s owner. But, in a situation where an owner does not exist, it depends on the circumstances.

“We have to assess the behavior first and if an animal is lacking an owner or lacking a home and proper care and it's a safety issue we will look at how to capture it,” she said. “If we do have a witness who can positively identify the dog, we’re looking at the circumstances.”

Seeking resolution

Residents just want it over.

“My children and livestock being attacked by these dogs would be what I’m most concerned about,” Perry said. “We need to eliminate this situation. Animal control needs to help us out.”

For Hamer, the pack of wild dogs is just part of the larger problem of off-leash dogs and animal dumping.

“I hope they are able to be trapped by residents or animal control and placed in homes," she said. "I also hope Elephant Head stops being a dumping ground for loose dogs and wish leash laws were more heavily enforced for dogs with homes who run the streets,” she said.

McCarver’s greatest hope is to see more responsible pet ownership when it comes to the loose dogs.

“There's all kinds of enrichment things they could do to keep those dogs engaged in being at home, but now those dogs have had a taste of freedom,” she said. “They get spoiled and they have the lay of the neighborhood — who's got the good snacks, who will take them in a bit and give them treats.”

“They are training us.”

Williams said he would like to see the county’s animal control office resolve the problem.

“I'd like to see PACC step in with whatever resources necessary to take the feral pack, rehab them and find them homes,” he said. “We really need them to be taken away from a community safety standpoint.”

He's concerned somebody will take the situation into their own hands and they won't use the most humane option.

“I worry about the alternative. Some residents are trained or not in the use of firearms,” he said. “It drags on the heart because I’d hate to see an animal get shot, go out and suffer any more. I could make sure it's merciful, but not everyone could. I hope PACC can step in and help us, and devote the resources necessary. Many residents would assist them however we could.”

According to state statute, “if any person discovers a dog killing, wounding or chasing livestock, or discovers a dog under circumstances which show conclusively that it has recently killed or chased livestock, he may pursue and kill the dog.”

As far as what will become of the dogs, Hinte said if were to catch stray dogs like these, it would be up to their behavioral team to determine if they could go up for adoption.

Hinte recommended that as long as it was safe, people should photograph or video trouble dogs because it could help an investigation.