Italian Police Hunt for Stray Dogs

Thu, 19 Mar 2009

Italian police are on the hunt for a pack of stray dogs which have killed a 10 year old boy and mauled a 24 year old woman. The police have already caught 30 strays in the Ragusa region of southern Sicily, but there are believed to be a further 20 dogs still on the loose. A suspect has been arrested in connection with the recent attacks, as he is believed to have starved and neglected some of the dogs.

The problem of stray pets is not uncommon in Italy, with animal rights groups estimating that there are up to 500,000 strays in the country, the majority of which are from the south after being abandoned by their owners. Local town councils are supposed to round up stray dogs, putting them in public kennels. However, with a lack of sufficiently funded pounds in which to house the animals, the dogs aren’t being properly dealt with.

The latest attack saw a 24 year old German tourist seriously injured whilst on a beach walk. Rescue official Christian Ilardi, said, ‘Her face was particularly disfigured. Her life is in serious danger due to the wounds, which are very deep.’

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