Feral Dogs Wreak Havoc in a Remote Desert Town

It’s a common sight to see a loose dog running around, whether it’s gotten free from its owner’s yard, been abandoned, or is feral. Sometimes, though, these dogs can cause serious issues.

Susanne Rust of the Los Angeles Times has a long, revealing article out Jan. 4 about the various issues that loose dogs can cause, in Southern California and beyond.

“According to reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services, domestic dogs are the second-most lethal predator of livestock, with coyotes taking the top spot,” Rust writes.

Her article delves into both why this is and how difficult the problem is to contain.

“I remember my boss saying, ‘Well, we’re in the business of wildlife, we’re not in the business of dogs,’” a former USDA employee and current Utah State University ecologist named Julie Young tells Rust. “Our mission was to reduce conflict with wildlife. So, I think there’s this gray area where, you know, who does manage feral and free-roaming dogs? And who shouldn’t be managing it?”

Still, while this gets sorted out, impacts can be profound, with Rust noting that dogs killed more than 23,000 sheep in 2019. Dogs also accounted for 11.3% of cattle and calves killed, according to a 2015 report.

The article also notes a shocking solution that one person talked to locally by the reporter claims was offered to them by animal control: shooting marauding dogs. (A field commander for Riverside County expressed shock and incredulity when asked if this was common advice, saying it was not.)

It’s a sad, but meaningful read all in all.

Read the article titled “In a remote corner of California, roaming dog packs leave a trail of blood and terror” on LATimes.com.