Wild dogs roam the Five Towns

A pack of four wild dogs are roaming through the Five Towns villages of Hewlett Bay Park, Hewlett Harbor, Hewlett Neck, Woodsburgh, Cedarhurst and Lawrence, according to Guy Bove of the Town of Hempstead’s Animal Shelter.

Bove said that the pack was five, but the town’s animal control officers caught one of the canines — a puppy — about a month ago. The dogs have also been sighted by the Atlantic Beach Bridge and in East Rockaway, he added.

Currently, the dogs have taken up residence on marshland across from Hewlett Neck, Bove said, while addressing a group of residents at the Woodmere Club on Dec. 4.

He said that two baited traps have been set for the dogs on Dolphin Drive in Hewlett Neck. “They are very cautious,” Bove said about the dogs, but he thinks the traps will work.

No people have been attacked, he said, but there are reports that pets such as cats have been attacked.

The dogs have been spotted during the day and night, but the majority of the sightings have been after dark, he said, adding that they move through the area’s golf courses.

Bove said the best thing for residents to do after a sighting is to contact their respective village halls. Between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. animal control can be reached at (516) 785-5220. Community members could also call the 4th Precinct at 573-6400 or dial 911.