HAWTHORNE — Wolves killed a pet dog in the town of Hawthorne Thursday, March 17, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The United States Department of Agriculture-Wildlife Services verified the Pomeranian was killed by wolves, according to a release from the state.
The incident took place near Steele Lake. That puts the area where the dog was killed roughly 2 miles away from the village of Lake Nebagamon, according to the DNR's wolf depredation map .
The DNR establishes a 4-mile caution area around any sites where hunting dogs or pets have been killed by wolves on lands open to the public. The buffer zone is established to warn hunters or others who may be recreating in the area that conflicts between wolves and dogs have been documented. Owners are urged to exercise greater caution if they plan to train or hunt with dogs or allow pets to run off-leash in that buffer zone.
There has been one other confirmed wolf depredation in Douglas County this year, according to the DNR website . Wolves killed a beef calf on a farm in the town of Amnicon Jan. 13. Less than two weeks later, wolves were verified to have been harassing a herd of beef cattle in the town of Amnicon.
