GERMANTOWN, Tenn. — Behind a Germantown neighborhood near Johnson and Forest Hill Irene, neighbors say a usually peaceful preserve for rescue animals looked more like a bloodbath after several sheep, a cow and an emu were attacked by stray pit bull dogs.
The rescue animal owner didn’t want to be identified, but told WREG she can’t believe what happened.
“It was like a bloodbath. It was devastating. They were rescues. Several years ago the Humane Society asked us to rescue these animals that had been seized from a hoarding situation. So they had a nice peaceful retirement here,” the rescue animal owner said.
She said she can’t get the images out of her mind.
“There was blood everywhere. All the sheep were laying down and the cow over there was mauled and bloody, and the feathers from the emu were on the ground.”
The rescue animal owner said two sheep were killed and four other animals were wounded.
“I saw the dogs. The dogs were still in the paddock and we called the police and the policeman came out and he called animal control.”
Animal control crews searched for the dogs.
“It was raining and it was dark and they tried for hours to trap them and couldn’t find them.”
She described the attack as vicious.
“It didn’t eat the sheep, it just killed them. I spoke with the vet and he said it collapsed their trachea so they couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t biting them for food. it just killed them.”
Animal Control did set up traps with blankets and food to catch the dogs.
Homeowners hope it’ll happen soon out of concern for the safety of neighborhood children and pets.
“I worry the kids will get hurt. the small dogs will get hurt.”