Frequently Asked Questions about Dog Packs

• Why do we have so many dog packs in New Orleans?

• What is being done about Dog Packs?

• Why do dogs maul and kill cats?

• What about our children? They aren’t safe!

Why do we have so many dog packs in New Orleans?

Three primary reasons: People allow their dogs to roam the street. When dogs are routinely out, they meet other dogs and then form a pack. Dogs are social animals and prefer to live in groups.

A surprisingly large number of people choose not to spay or neuter their pets. When their pets roam, they also breed. Because we have warm weather year round, animals breed more frequently.  The breeding problem quickly escalates.

If the problem goes unaddressed (not enough resources applied to it) for too long, it quickly gets out of hand. Officers cannot keep pace with the birth rate of dogs.

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What is being done about Dog Packs?

Three to five Animal Control Officers (ACO’s) come together every day of the week (Monday – Friday), weather permitting, in the early morning to catch multiple dogs. Different parts of the city are targeted. For example, on Tuesday we may be in Algiers and on Wednesday we’ll be in the East.

Fourteen traps are placed in areas where the dogs are difficult to catch. Although we chain and padlock our traps, many are stolen or opened so dogs may escape. We must continually replace the traps which cost $450 each for the larger size.

Three ACO’s, one veterinarian, and the executive director were trained in chemical capture. They have ordered the equipment, but need some time to refine their skills before hitting the streets. Chemical capture should be used as a very last resort. The darts are filled with anesthesia that has high street value. The darts must be retrieved before leaving the scene. It takes dogs 2.5 to 3.5 minutes to fall once darted. Dogs can die under anesthesia. If the dog is very aggressive or excitable, they can overcome the anesthesia and not go down at all.

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Why do dogs maul and kill cats?

New Orleans has a very high cat population and owners allow their pet cats to also roam. One theory is that neighborhoods with a high cat population, like Mid-City, helps to attract dogs.

Dogs are not killing cats for food, but for sport or territory. When dogs are in groups, they work together. Their skills get better over time. Consider the cat a moving plush toy. The dogs are attracted by movement. Dogs that live with cats will kill other cats when working in a dog pack outside the home.

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What about our children? They aren’t safe!

Dog packs are generally not interested in people. Not all dog packs are dangerous. Many are made up of dogs that are owned and friendly. But, we do not encourage people to approach the packs without prior knowledge of the group’s personality.

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