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Authorities in North Carolina are advising residents to be cautious after several wolf-dog hybrids escaped from an enclosure in Orange County. Twelve dogs, which are a cross between a wolf and a German Shepard, escaped from a private enclosure last week.
Animal control officers managed to capture eight of the hybrid dogs but have been unable to locate the remaining four. There have been no reports of the dogs attacking animals or people, but officials are warning people to be cautious if they see them.
"We definitely don't want people to feel like they have to have a huge fear of these dogs, but we are asking don't approach them. We don't know that they are really socialized at all. In fact, we kind of have the understanding that they are mostly not socialized," Orange County Animal Services spokeswoman Tenille Fox said according to WNCN.
Experts said that while the hybrid dogs may not attack people, their actions can be hard to predict.
"These hybrids tend to be a little bit larger than a typical dog, and they may be more unpredictable because they are bred with wolf," Dr. Tara Harrison, an associate professor at North Carolina State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, told WRAL.
"Feral dogs in general, particularly larger dogs, can certainly be very concerning," Harrison said. "I suspect, if they're all from the same place, they're probably going to stay near each other. Packs can be more dangerous just because they're all helping each other."
Orange County Animal Control said that the hybrids are not allowed to be owned as pets and said they are not vaccinated against rabies.
"The safety of these animals and the safety of the public are of the highest priority in this case," officials said in a statement. "These dogs are not currently available for adoption or foster to the general public, and it is highly unlikely that they will ever be made available in that way. Hybrids of this kind are not able to be kept as pets in Orange County, and there is not an approved rabies vaccine for these canines."