A 64-year-old man was killed by a pack of five mixed-breed dogs Wednesday evening in Tucumcari.
Wilson Silver, a State Police spokesman, said Stanley Hartt was pronounced dead at the scene and one of the five dogs was killed by a Quay County deputy.
He said the other four dogs had been turned over to Quay County Animal Control.
“To whom the dogs belong is still under investigation,” Silver said.
In a Facebook post early Thursday, the Quay County Sheriff’s Office said extra patrols were scheduled around Tucumcari Public Schools “due to last night’s incident involving the dogs.”
Hours later, the sheriff’s office posted a “Use Caution/Vicious Animal” advisory that law enforcement was “still searching” for a tan German Shepherd mix.
By 10 a.m. the sheriff’s office posted that the last dog had been found. An employee at the sheriff’s office told the Journal the dogs had been taken to the city kennel.
One man replied on Facebook, “That’s great news. Now, what about all the rest of the dogs roaming in packs around town? Do we just wait for someone else to die?”
A woman commented that she heard the attack but was too far to help, adding “I know the dogs they really aren’t bad dogs they never bother me.”
Silver, the State Police spokesman, said it was around 8 p.m. when Hartt was attacked by the pack of dogs while walking on 11th Street near Gamble.
He said paramedics were called but Hartt succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
“One of the five dogs was euthanized by a Quay County Sheriff’s deputy following the attack,” Silver said. “This investigation is active and being led by the New Mexico State Police.”
He said the investigation, once complete, will be forwarded to the 10th Judicial District Attorney “for a determination on what, if any, charges will be filed.”
