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Dogs may be behind Linkou goat attacks

Tuesday, June 12, 2007
The China Post staff


The owner of the farm in Linkou, Taipei County which saw eight goats killed and two injured by a mystery animal on Friday, yesterday witnessed a pack of dogs attacking his goats, with one captured after being trapped in a cage set up by Taipei County officials.

Fourteen goats were killed and seven injured by the dogs yesterday as Taipei County officials reassured the public that the mystery animal was not a tiger.

Taipei County animal workers are in the process of comparing the bite marks on the goats killed yesterday with the dead goats from Friday.

An Indonesian laborer of the goat farm owner surnamed Hung witnessed the goats being attacked early morning Friday and said that the goats were being bitten by a tiger.

Early morning yesterday, Hung drove up to his farm and honked his horn before entering the farm in an attempt to scare away any animal that might be lurking in the darkness.

Immediately, a black dog ran out from inside the farm and darted away.

Alarmed, Hung hurriedly entered the farm and saw a white dog biting and attacking his goats.

Hung grabbed his knife and tried to cut the white dog, but the dog escaped.

Afterwards, Hung heard the barking of a dog from outside the farm. He stepped outside and found a white dog trapped inside a cage that had been set up by Taipei County officials after Friday’s goat attacks.

Taipei County animal health officials reassured the public and said that the dogs which killed the goats yesterday most likely committed the goat killings on Friday.

Officials said that they will continue to search for the two other dogs that escaped and will strengthen efforts to capture stray dogs near the area.

Local residents said that the area near Hung’s farm was originally a hotbed of dogfighting operations which were popular before police began to crack down on the gambling.

Dogfighting operations, when closed, were forced to abandon their dogs, leaving numerous stray dogs roaming in the Linkou area.

Taipei County Chief Chou Hsi-wei led a team of officials, police officers, and veterinarians on a search in the mountain near Hung’s farm for the mysterious animal that killed eight goats on Friday.

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