Wild dog attacks surge, sparking need for action on pet abandonment

[Anchor]

Aggressive wild dogs are appearing in various places across the country.

They are mostly presumed to be stray dogs, and as they attack livestock and even people, a specialized capture team has been formed.

However, the number of wild dogs is not decreasing, causing significant anxiety among residents.

Seong Yong-hee reports.

[Report]

A wild dog enters a yard and circles around a goat.

Soon after, another wild dog appears, and they begin to bite the goat together.

The goat is helpless against the aggressive wild dogs.

This farm has also recently lost two goats that they were raising.

[Kim Deok-bae/Farmer affected by wild dogs: "Not just us, but those dogs have also attacked chickens at the house up there, leaving nothing behind. They don't even seem to be afraid of people."]

The attacks by wild dogs, which used to mainly occur in mountainous areas, are now easily witnessed in agricultural lands and various parts of villages.

Last year, over 100 livestock, including goats and chickens, were attacked in Taean, Chungcheongnam-do.

There have also been more than twenty cases of people being attacked.

As damage continues to occur, local governments have even formed specialized capture teams.

In the Taean area, eight traps have been established.

So far this year, over 200 wild dogs have been captured.

However, despite these efforts, the population of wild dogs is not decreasing.

They are mostly presumed to be stray dogs, and their numbers are rapidly increasing every year.

[Jo Han-tae/Taean Wild Dog Capture Team: "The problem is that tourists abandon them, and they form packs and breed among themselves. That's why their numbers aren't decreasing."]

To reduce the number of wild dogs, fundamental measures to decrease pet abandonment are needed, in addition to post measures like capture efforts.

This is KBS News, Seong Yong-hee.