Missouri Animal Attacks

[Ron Caliburn]

These things usually start with animal killings, then whatever it is decides to try something with a little less hair on it . . .

Unseen Beast Brutally Killing Dogs in Missouri Town
January 15, 2013 3:58 pm Greg Newkirk

Since Thanksgiving, residents of Neosho, Missouri have been living in fear of a mysterious beast stalking their forest and viciously attacking their pets. The attacks have so far claimed the lives of two dogs, and the community has banded together to hire professional trackers over fears that the next set of incidents may happen to them.

Reta Liles is the owner of two dogs that have been attacked, one more fortunate than the other. Her golden lab, Buddy, was found dead, while her dog Punk’n survived with a set of ferocious battle wounds.

“Two slashes across her back, and in some places, it’s two inches deep,” Reta told the KSN Local News. ”It was bad. She was laid open from side to side.”

So far, at least 8 canine companions from the Mint Lane neighborhood have been the victims of the unexplained attacks, and it hasn’t just been the smaller breeds with the nasty run ins. Larger, more powerful dogs like pit bulls and mastiffs have been found wounded as well, prompting concern that whatever is behind the attacks is big, mean, and very scary.

“This thing needs to be relocated or eradicated or something. I don’t want to see any of my kids or my neighbors get tore up,” Reta said.

Leanna Williams, Reta Liles neighbor and the president of the Faithful Friends Animal Advocates, went so far as to write a piece for the Neosha Daily News about the creature.

My neighbor (and friend) had called me to say her Puggle, Punk’n, had been seriously injured with deep lacerations, across her back that started at her rib cage on one side and went all the way to her belly on the other side, as if something had tried to open her up like a can opener. [...]

This animal seems to attack for “sport.” It does not drag off or eat whatever it attacks but just leaves it to die. We are concerned about letting our dogs (or family members) spend time outdoors, especially at night, although these attacks have been at all times of day. When our family and grandchildren were here for the holidays, all were uneasy about going out and for good reason. Some neighbors have small children (smaller than these dogs), and are concerned about allowing their children outside to play until we know this thing is gone.

So far, whatever creature is to blame has not yet been seen, and the local game commission has stated that they won’t step in until visual evidence of the beast is presented to them, believing that the animal in question could be a coyote. Residents, however, don’t agree.

“Thought it was a mountain lion because of the depth of the tracks and so forth,” Liles said.

The community had banded together to install a few game cameras in hopes of capturing photographic evidence of the beast once and for all

(More including photos on the origional site)