Pack of stray dogs off the streets in Hollywood neighborhood

Residents say 10 cats in Lawn Acres neighborhood went missing, blame group of dogs

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – The Lawn Acres neighborhood is breathing a little easier after learning the pack of stray dogs that have been tormenting their community is finally off the streets.

Mia Hodgson spoke to Local 10 about her parents' 14-year-old gray and black striped cat that was snatched off the front porch of their Hollywood home by the dogs.

"It's sad because she was so defenseless. There with those four dogs," said Hodgson.

Stray dogs caught on surveillance video attacking a cat in the Lawn Acres neighborhood in Hollywood.

The family's surveillance cameras captured the attack.

"Within minutes they killed three cats," said Hodgson whose own cat, Binx, was also killed that night three weeks ago. "One was found on the sidewalk, the other one was found in the bushes. He was a cat that we had for so long, so friendly, wouldn't hurt anybody. Like he was a shy cat, you know. My kids loved him."

Over the past six weeks, residents say 10 cats in the Lawn Acres neighborhood have gone missing and they believe the group of dogs is to blame.

Donna O'Keefe, vice president of the Lawn Acres Civic Association, said the wild dogs chased one of her neighbors in the house early one morning. The cat-hungry canines have had this nicely kept community on edge.

"We've had a lot of broken hearts. A lot of people unsure if it was safe to go outside," O'Keefe said.

A vigilant group of neighbors tracking the dogs recently snapped pictures of them and alerted animal control officers to where they were hiding out.

Broward County Animal Control officers finally tracked down and picked up those dogs Tuesday morning in an industrial area on Rodman Street near 441. The dogs had been roaming the area for years and apparently some of the business owners had been feeding them.

"The one they should have picked up is still running around here," said Randy Pew, owner of Randy's Auto Painting.

Hodgson said it was sad to watch her 9-year-old son help bury Madison and Binx after the incident, but feels it's safe once again let him go outside to play.

"There's some dogs that just don't like cats and that's just how it is, but no one should allow their dogs to run wild on the street," said Hodgson.

A spokeswoman for Broward County Animal Control said workers were forced to put the dogs down because they were just too vicious to put up for adoption.