A Sycamore Street resident called 911 in distress after a pack of loose pit bulls reportedly killed multiple cats, including a beloved pet and a stray that had been living nearby. The gruesome scene marks yet another disturbing chapter in Scioto County’s deepening animal control crisis, where packs of roaming dogs, overcrowded shelters, and public safety threats are becoming daily realities.
Blood on Their Fur, No Collars in Sight
Police arrived to find two large gray and brown pit bulls roaming the area. The dogs had blood on them, and the caller positively identified them as the same animals that had:
- Killed a stray cat
- Killed a neighbor’s pet cat
- Left another kitten unaccounted for
Officers were able to catch both dogs, though neither wore a collar or tags, and there was no immediate sign of ownership.
Shelter Nearly Out of Options
The dogs were temporarily taken to the Scioto County Dog Shelter, but staff admitted that even that was a stretch.
“The only cage we have left probably won’t even hold them,” one officer reported.
Dog Warden Miller agreed to hold the pit bulls temporarily, but said a longer-term solution would need to be coordinated with animal control officials next week.
A Crisis With No End in Sight
This isn’t just a one-off call. It’s part of a dangerous pattern playing out across the region:
- Packs of aggressive or abandoned dogs roaming neighborhoods
- Bite reports, attacks on pets, and property damage on the rise
- A shelter system operating well beyond its capacity
- Multiple dogs currently facing euthanasia next week due to lack of space
Animal control officers, dog wardens, and shelter staff are working with limited space and limited authority, leaving police to contain violent incidents in the meantime — often without long-term solutions.
What Can Be Done?
Local officials continue to urge:
- Dog owners to keep pets contained and properly tagged
- Community members to adopt or foster to relieve shelter pressure
- Donations and volunteerism to support underfunded animal services
- A long-overdue reassessment of state and county policies around stray, aggressive, and neglected dogs
🐾 The Bottom Line
No one wants to hear that cats are being mauled in their neighborhood — or that dangerous dogs are loose with no clear place to go. But unless immediate action is taken to support Scioto County’s animal control infrastructure, these types of stories won’t be the exception — they’ll be the new normal.
