Idaho Fish and Game officials confirmed Monday that wolves fatally mauled a dog last week in a rural Boise County subdivision northwest of Idaho City.
The family pet was a 104-pound German Shepherd mix named Dawg. The attack occurred sometime between 7 and 7:30 a.m. Wednesday near Centerville, and the dog died the next morning.
No one witnessed the attack. It is unclear how many wolves attacked the dog, though tracks in the snow indicate it was probably three or four, said Steve Wilkins, one of Dawg's owners.
"He was a good neighborhood protector. He turned out everybody who didn't belong," said Wilkins, whose family took in the dog when it showed up about four years ago. "But there was more of them than him."
In 2007, there were eight confirmed killings of dogs by wolves in Idaho, and another six probable killings, said Steve Nadeau, large carnivore manager for Idaho Fish & Game.
"It's primarily herding or guarding animals or hunting hounds," Nadeau said. "This is kind of a rarity."
The federal government recently approved a plan to remove Endangered Species Act protection from wolves in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and parts of nearby states.
Wolves are territorial, particularly at this time of year, when they are breeding. Garbage left outside will attract the animals as well.
Nadeau said there are four to five wolf packs that live between Boise and Lowman - around 28 to 40 wolves.
"We've had wolves in the area for the last decade," he said. "Every now and again, there's going to be an encounter like this."
Wilkins and his wife, Vicki, say their dog suffered terribly from bite wounds to his neck, chest, abdomen and hind legs.
"He was so black and blue," Vicki Wilkins said.
Nadeau advised residents to keep their pets and garbage inside at night. Wolves don't normally see humans as prey, he said, but wolf behavior can change if they begin to associate humans with food.
"North American wolf attacks on people are pretty rare," he said.
Katy Moeller: 377-6413
