Series of farm animal attacks has Easton residents on edge

EASTON, Calif. (KFSN) -- A string of vicious animal attacks has people worried in Easton. The latest attack happened at the Washington Union High School farm. Several animals were killed by a pack of dogs, according to school officials.

Mario Gonzalez has a timid flock of sheep. It's smaller than it was three weeks ago -- down by six, after a pack of dogs got through a fence and attacked. Gonzalez said, "I almost cried because I love my animals."

He says it was a massacre. The sheep were mauled and bit. Some died in the pen, including one that was pregnant, and others had to be put down. It's a $1,400 loss, and the eight left standing are scarred.

"It's sad," Gonzalez added. "People have their animals locked up and they can't do anything about it."

There have been other attacks in Easton: one at a livestock auction yard and another at the Washington Union High School farm. FFA students lost four show animals: three sheep and a goat.

"It just sounded like, really aggressive," said Jake Kourafas who lives across the street.

The students couldn't talk with us on camera, but they did say the dogs went under a fence and broke through a gate. They also showed Action News one of the survivors -- a goat with a severed tail. It's a tough break for the program, with fair season just weeks away.

Kourafas said, "They're feeding every week and putting in the time to make sure their animals are ready for fair...something like that to happen, so close to show, it's definitely devastating."

Some people have an idea of where the dogs live, and they believe there's a pit bull and a German shepherd in the pack. Gonzalez's son, Enrique Gonzalez, says he's seen them before, roaming the street.

"Whoever sees them, we need to stop them already; it's been enough," Enrique Gonzalez said.

School officials say a security guard has been hired to keep an eye on the farm, and the district will pay to replace the animals that were killed at the school farm.