Hybrid wolf-dogs are inciting fear in a Marshall County neighborhood.
Marshall County Animal Control and the sheriff's office spent Wednesday morning on Merrill Mountain Road in Grant following up on a report of a dog attack. They’re working together to locate seven hybrid wolf-dogs and bring them to the animal shelter.
The owners of the dogs believe the pets are 60 percent wolf.
One neighbor tells WAAY 31 the wolf-dogs surrounded her in her yard Wednesday morning. Before she knew it, she says one of them lunged and grabbed her chihuahua by the neck.
“I just started screaming at them, ‘Get out of here,' you know, 'Get, scat,’” Debbie Kean said. “I jerked the leash as hard as I could and out of that wolf's mouth and scooped my dog up and ran.”
Debbie and her dog are OK, but she says this isn't the first time these wolf-dogs have caused problems in the area. She says police have been called about the animals and she's even been to court as a witness.
Another neighbor says the animals instill fear in the entire area.
“You can’t even let your dog out at night to pee for worrying they might get attacked,” Philip Morrison said.
Morrison says he's tired of the dogs bothering his pets, livestock, and family.
“Everybody has a right to control their own property, but they have no right to hold other people hostage, not with animals anyway,” Morrison said.
Luckily, no one was hurt on Wednesday, but the sheriff's office is taking preemptive measures to make sure no one ever will.
“We’ve got an agreement with the folks that own the dogs to let us, our animal control, pick them up and hold those dogs,” said Assistant Chief Deputy John Young.
The sheriff's office is aware of the dog owners' ongoing court issues with their pets.
As of right now, four dogs have been detained. The dogs will remain at the Marshall County Animal Shelter until the next court hearing scheduled for the pet owners. That date has not yet been set.
