Police in Highlands County, Florida, are concerned that there may be a pack of wild dogs on the loose after the body of a man was found covered more than 100 dog bites.
The Highlands County Sheriff’s Office and the medical examiner determined that the bites were the preliminary cause of death for 45-year-old Melvin Olds Jr.
Olds’ body was found around noon on Thursday. His family said that the father of five was taking a shortcut through a wooded area when the incident occurred. Olds’ mother, Cynthia Hill, expressed shock at the news.
“I thought a dog was a man’s best friend,” Hill said. “He was a good person, a good man. Just so hurt, deeply because it’s so unexpected.”
After the attack, authorities set traps around the area and caught six stray dogs, all of which were pit bull mixes. It was determined that the bite marks on Olds matched the size of the dogs’ mouths, but DNA testing is being conducted to conclusively determine if they are the suspects.
Police say there still may be a pack of dogs in the area, and Sheriff Paul Blackman warned those in the area to remain diligent.
“While we may have the dogs that were responsible for this horrible tragedy, we won’t know for sure for a while,” Blackman said.
“I want to encourage residents of Highway Park and the surrounding area to be on the lookout for any loose dogs, especially those that seem aggressive. We don’t want anyone else to be injured,” he added.
