There are cats at the McCarty home. But two out of three is not enough.
Jake, who was about 5 years old, lived on Houcks Road in Monkton and was used to going outside and staying on his own property.
"Very angry, very upset," said Mickey McCarty, Jake’s owner.
The McCartys had a tough weekend. Jake didn't stray, but the hounds who are with the Elkridge Harford Hunt Club did. Several of them, according to the Harford County Sheriff's Office and the McCarty's, left their trainers on horseback and hunted down Jake, who was hiding in the woods.
"My neighbor had called and said, Donna I see where those dogs have got one of the grey cats trapped," said Donna McCarty, Jake’s owner.
Mickey McCarty let all three cats out Saturday around 7:30 a.m. Two were rounded up, but he couldn't find Jake, until about three hours later.
"He was full of holes where they had punctured him," said Mickey McCarty.
Donna McCarty talked to a spokesperson for the club.
"He said, I'm sorry but we did lose control of the dogs. And he said now if there's anything I can do for you, if you want a new kitten, or if you want me to dig the hole, I'll do that," said Donna McCarty.
We went hunting for answers at the club's offices in Monkton. We were referred to the president, who has not called back. Their website says the dogs are a cross between English and American hounds. There are scheduled hunts several times a month.
"Apparently they're going to have to retrain their hounds and pick out one or ones if it's multiples that now has the taste of blood in their system," said Donna McCarty.
The club has been given the maximum penalty of a $1,200 fine. It's a civil citation issued through Harford County Animal Control.
Jake's owners say since this happened, they have heard from other neighbors with similar complaints of the hounds ending up on their property and killing their pets.
