A group that keeps an eye on the wild horses on the North Carolina coast says free roaming dogs have become a threat.

Meg Puckett, herd manager of the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, says tourists are leaving their pets unleashed, and those pets are chasing and even biting the horses. Puckett said there have been three incident reports in the last week of dogs “chasing and harassing the horses.”

Puckett says on the group’s Facebook page it’s lucky that spooked, defensive horses are unpredictable and could turn that aggression toward people, or could trample beachgoers.

The fund’s mission is to protect and preserve the last remaining herd of Spanish mustangs on the northern Outer Banks. The fund says there are approximately 100 wild horses in the Corolla area.

– Associated Press

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