Point Reyes Light- September 10, 1998
Marauding dogs kill wildlife in San Geronimo Valley
As many as four marauding dogs have been attacking wildlife in Lagunitas, troubling residents who fear for the lives of their pets.
"We're concerned," said Lagunitas resident Carol Gahagan. "So far, a fox and two deer are dead, and a fawn has been attacked. These attacks have got to stop." She noted that the dogs have also chased some cats.
Gahagan said that for more than two months, dogs have banded together to maim or kill wild animals living near West Cintura Avenue. Aided by her neighbors, she has compiled descriptions of the aggressors, all of which are probably owned by Valley residents, she said.
Worrisome are a black dog, possibly a Rottweiller mutt; a sturdy black Labrador-like dog with a leather collar; a large blonde dog, possibly an Australian Shepherd, with reddish spots on its head; and a dog that may be a German Shepherd mixed-breed, she said.
The first two dogs apparently attacked a fox on lower West Cintura in late July. "One of my neighbors literally saw a fox dismembered before his eyes by these dogs. They didn't stop, even when he sprayed them with a garden hose," she said.
About a week later, the pair attacked again, this time targeting a deer. A neighbor helped another woman chase the dogs away, and the deer retreated into the hills, Gahagan said.
"Later, my neighbor followed a trail of blood into the hills with [staff from] the Humane Society. There were inches of blood. They never found the deer, and so assumed it was dead."
Gahagan said she herself witnessed an attack in August, when the black Lab and the Australian Shepherd mortally wounded a deer. The deer, who had three legs and was called "Tripod" by residents of West Cintura who fed it apples and vegetables, had to be put to death by the Humane Society.
"There were dogs barking in a frenzy, as if they were on to something. Then I heard this horrendous groaning noise," Gahagan recalled. "I grabbed some kindling, and threw it at the dogs, and began screaming. Finally, they dispersed."
But the doe wasn't able to recover her strength or balance. The doe crawled into a creek for cover, but could not overcome the bites to her throat, leg and hindquarters, she said.
Staff at WildCare, a wildlife rehabilitation center in San Rafael, counseled Gahagan to watch the deer for a couple of hours and see if it recovered. However, "the doe kept getting up and falling over, and it was evident that she wasn't going to make it. So we called the Humane Society and they put her down," Gahagan said.
Now, Gahagan said she and her neighbors worry about Tripod's fawn, who barely survived a different dog attack two weeks ago.
"Our overall hope is that people will take responsibility for their animals. They leave for the day thinking that their 'Fido' stays at home in their backyard. But they're wrong."
Owners whose dogs are allowed to run freely face serious penalties, said Jason Willett, spokesman for the Marin Humane Society. "It's a criminal misdemeanor charge if one of our officers witnesses a dog harass or attack wildlife, and an infraction if a dog is seen running at large, even if it doesn't attack anything."
Dogs must be under their owners' control at all times, either on a leash, penned up, or heeding their master's voice, Willett said.
In the meantime, he said, Humane Society staff are concerned about the dog attacks in Lagunitas, and have increased their patrols in the San Geronimo Valley.
Those wanting to report dog attacks can call the Humane Society at 883-4621.