Near Montpellier: in Juvignac, four stray dogs that kill cats and chickens are hunted down

A carnage at the western gates of Montpellier: for seven months, always at night, four stray dogs attack cats and chickens in the street and in private gardens in Juvignac, most are killed, others are mutilated. Owners of these pets are worried.

The first report of the presence of these stray dogs dates from last December, when a cat was killed in the Plaine district, adjoining the Mosson river. “From this first alert, we took it seriously and we asked all our municipal police officers to strengthen their vigilance on the ground in this area and surrounding areas as well,” assures this Thursday, June 27, 2024, the office of the mayor of Juvignac , Jean-Luc Savy, requested by Metropolitan.

“After this first attack, several other reports were transmitted to the municipal police switchboard and to the reception of the town hall, each time specifying the very late hours of cat attacks, namely at night, between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m. During the first months of 2024, the brigades are increasing patrols on the ground, in order to locate the place where these canines live, without conclusive results,” continues the Juvignac town hall.

Montpellier Municipal Police

Predators continue their hunt, especially for cats, some of which are found dead, others injured, not to mention the small felines that have mysteriously disappeared: did they die somewhere? Also, last May, the municipal police acknowledged receipt of numerous letters sent by residents of the Plaine district.

Faced with this recurring situation which continues, on May 23, the municipal police of Juvignac, informed that the killer dogs were likely to belong to residents living in the neighboring town of Montpellier and therefore in an area outside their jurisdiction, approached of a director of the municipal police of Montpellier.

In quick response, the municipal police of Montpellier warned the municipal agents of Juvignac of the mobilization of the animal capture brigade. On May 25, the head of the SPA de la Métropole de Montpellier shelter based in Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, linked to the City of Juvignac by an agreement, was alerted to possibly propose a solution. “But the SPA explains that it does not have traps and cannot capture stray animals,” revealed this Thursday, the office of the mayor of Juvignac.

Dogs filmed

On June 3, the system of video protection of the Town of Juvignac manages to capture an image of four dogs wandering on the banks of the Mosson, around 4:15 a.m., then at 6:30 a.m. However, that same night, cats were killed again in the town.

The town hall does not remain inactive and takes new initiatives. On June 6, the municipal police of Juvignac contacted the Animal Population Control Assistance Society -SACPA- which captures animals on public roads using cages. Discussions are underway to consider the conditions of a partnership with SACPA. And good news: “the Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone SPA confirms the possibility of taking care of dogs in their premises, if and only if they are captured,” indicates the office of the mayor of Juvignac.

The Juvignac municipal police then contacted the head of the Montpellier municipal police service, responsible for the Park and Animal Regulation Unit, and sent her the photo of the stray dogs. On June 11, the Montpellier municipal police informed the Juvignac police team that an association would regularly visit the Bonnier de la Mosson site, in order to confirm or not the presence of dogs corresponding to the report.

On June 20, the municipal police of Juvignac obtained confirmation from their counterparts in Montpellier that the dogs involved had still not been identified, despite the images in their possession and research in Bonnier de la Mosson.

Patrols in progress

This Monday, June 24, 2024, the head of the municipal police department, responsible for the Montpellier Park and Animal Regulation Unit, informs the Juvignac municipal police that the capture brigade will patrol all week – Editor’s note: until this Saturday, June 29 – on the border of the two municipalities to try to spot animals roaming around. In the meantime, reports of attacks stop, but not for long.

On the same day of Monday, June 24, a resident of rue des Daphnés, near Place de la Lavande, between the town hall and Les Constellations, reported that her chickens were killed the previous weekend by three dogs and produced a video, where we can formally see three of the four stray dogs already identified. This document is immediately sent to the Montpellier municipal police.

Intervention strategy

The hunt continues. Where do they come from ? Why do they always wander in the middle of the night and at dawn? Why are they so bloodthirsty that they kill cats and chickens? Why have no attacks been reported in the neighboring town of Montpellier, even though it is believed that their owner resides there? Mystery for now.

“The City of Juvignac is today awaiting a proposal and an intervention strategy from SAPCA, a company specializing in the management of animals in inhabited areas,” underlines the mayor’s office, emphasizing that, “as you can see from the various actions undertaken, the City of Juvignac, and more particularly the entire municipal police force, are fully mobilized to find a rapid solution to this problem and implement action effective, in the face of a situation that is much more complex than it appears.”

In Juvignac, owners of cats and chicken coops are increasing their vigilance to avoid further nocturnal carnage. A resident of the Plaine district testifies: “the owners of cats and chickens care a lot about it, they are very attached to it and they have a hard time with this situation”.

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