Published: April 20, 2009 04:37 pm      

Dogs kill 14 goats

Galen Scott

gscott@weatherforddemocrat.com

RENO — When Alvaro Silva arrived at his property shortly after daybreak Monday, the pack of dogs that killed his entire herd of goats was still feasting.

Silva, 41, said some of the goats were partially eaten. Others had their throats ripped out or were decapitated.

When he got there, the dogs wouldn’t let him on the property, Silva said.

“After I opened the first gate, I saw a bunch of dogs coming,” he recalled. “Then I saw dead goats everywhere. Before I opened the second gate, I called the police.”

He said Reno police responded to the scene, followed by a Parker County Sheriff’s Deputy, who reportedly loaded the dogs and delivered them to the Weatherford Parker County animal shelter.

Silva said there were four dogs: “two bit bulls and two shepherds.”

A spokesperson at the shelter confirmed two pit bull terriers and two dogs resembling shepherds were brought in Monday morning and have not been destroyed.

Silva, a brick and stone mason by profession, said he brought his children, 5 and 8, to play with the goats almost daily. He said one adult male, six adult females and seven young goats were killed.

“I felt like this place was really safe for my goats, and my kids loved to come and play with them,” he said. “I don’t know how I’m going to explain this to them.”

Silva was not able to find any holes in a chain-link fence surrounding the premises, and remains unsure how the dogs gained entry.

An owner of the dogs has not been located, according to shelter personnel.