Goat-killing pit bulls on the lam after dog pound jailbreak

Police in Kelowna, B.C. are searching for four suspects — two of them canine — after a dramatic jailbreak at the local dog pound.

On Wednesday, animal control officers with the Regional District of Central Okanagan seized two pit bulls after two pet goats were killed on a property in the Joe Rich area, east of Kelowna. 

Regional District Director Patty Hanson said a neighbour found the dead goats. 

"They came over... and saw a bloody mess all over the hay and all over the yard," she said. "They are absolutely shocked."

Animal control officers took the suspect dogs to the Regional District Dog Pound, but that night, two people broke into the dog pound to spring the canine offenders.

Video surveillance shows them leaving with the two pit bulls.

Regional District spokesperson Bruce Smith said the dogs' owners are known to animal control officers.

"We have been involved with the owners of the two dogs for various bylaw infractions since 2013," Smith said. 

"One of the pit bulls was declared aggressive last fall and the other was declared aggressive in January of this year."

Hanse said people living in Joe Rich are on edge knowing the pit bulls are on the lam.

"They are very concerned that once [the dogs] have the taste of blood and they are at large and are running in a pack, they will go after anything," Hanson said. "So the community is extremely concerned."

The RCMP have identified two suspects, but no arrests have been made.