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Coastal Pet Rescue Issues Warning to Paradise Park Pet Owners
Savannah, GA August 29, 2005
Coastal Pet Rescue reports 17 cats found dead, 1 dog attacked, and several pets missing within Paradise Park neighborhood limits in recent weeks.
Residents believe two or more neighborhood dogs, apparently allowed to roam free in early morning hours, are responsible for the deaths.
Paradise Park resident Nancy Pelletier’s two cats were killed three weeks ago by the dogs.
After posting “Has your cat been killed by dogs or gone missing?” signs throughout the neighborhood, Pelletier compiled a database of incidents reported to her by other residents.
“The response rate was alarming, as I found that my experience was definitely not isolated”, says Pelletier. “These dogs attack in the early morning hours and are repeat offenders. They’ve not only walked into yards, but have climbed fences to get to their victims.”
Long-time Paradise Park resident Ed Rahall reported that four of his beloved cats, ranging from 13 to 17 years of age, were also recently killed by dogs.
“These cats lived safely on our property for over ten years and within a week, they were gone”, says Rahall. “We are heartbroken and now fear for the safety of our other pets.”
Coastal Pet Rescue special projects coordinator and Paradise Park resident Mandy Ownley woke up Saturday to find two dogs standing over a cat she had spayed the day before as part of the organization’s Trap-Neuter-Return program for feral cats.
“The cat was confined to a covered cage in my carport area as she recovered from surgery”, explained Ownley. “The dogs had dragged the cage into a neighboring yard and killed her.”
Ownley believes the dogs are not strays, but owned pets based on details she prefers not to release during the investigation period.
Ownley contacted Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police to file a complaint before taking the deceased animal to Dr. Jane Liller’s Cat Care Clinic for a post-mortem examination and report.
Ownley warns other residents to keep their pets indoors as much as possible and until these rogue dogs can be found and their owner(s) identified.
“If these particular dogs are as driven to kill as it appears, we fear that all pets, and perhaps children, in the Paradise Park neighborhood are at risk.”
Citing Savannah-Chatham Animal Control ordinance 22, section 112, Ownley stated, “It is unlawful for dogs to run at large in Chatham County and the owners of these dogs need to be reminded of that and dealt with accordingly.”
Anyone with information about the suspected dogs in these cases, described as 45 pound mixed breeds—one black, one light brindle—is encouraged to contact Mandy Ownley at (912) 351-4151 or via email at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Paradise Park residents who have pets that have been killed or gone missing recently should contact resident Nancy Pelletier at (912) 921-8918, in addition to reporting the incidents to Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Animal Control.
Founded in February 2003, Coastal Pet Rescue is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit animal rescue organization based in Savannah, Georgia dedicated to saving the lives of homeless, abused and neglected dogs and cats in the Creative Coast Savannah and Lowcountry South Carolina areas.
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