Rangers Searching for Two ‘Extremely Scared’ Stray Dogs Roaming North Carolina Parkway
One is white. The other is brown, with a facial injury that some suspect came from a gunshot. Neither was wearing a collar when they were first spotted in March, wandering near scenic overlooks along one of America’s most famous mountain roads.
Now, weeks later, the National Park Service is racing to capture two stray dogs roaming a remote stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina — and the community watching over them believe the animals are running out of time.
First Sightings Near Fork Ridge Overlook
The dogs were first reportedly seen in March when several residents spotted them near Fork Ridge Overlook along the Blue Ridge Parkway at milepost 449, near Sylva and Bryson City.
WLOS was the first to report the news.
Locals quickly concluded the pair had been dumped there by someone.
“We could tell that they had been set out and abandoned and so we started coming up. We live close so we started coming up and checking on the dogs,” one resident told WLOS.
No owner has come forward to claim either animal, according to Jackson County Animal Services.
Community members have shared photos of the dogs at various scenic overlooks along the parkway, and residents report the animals appear to be losing weight over time.
‘Aggressive’ Report Triggered Road Closures
Concern escalated on April 18 when the National Park Service received a report describing the dogs as “aggressive” near milepost 451 at Waterrock Knob.
The NPS closed the road to investigate but couldn’t find the dogs. The road was later reopened.
A second road closure occurred on April 20 between mileposts 443 and 455 — a 12-mile stretch of parkway shut down in hopes of trapping and capturing the two dogs.
The National Park Service confirmed trapping operations are underway and ongoing.
Officials stated their goal is to capture the dogs and move them to a suitable shelter. Jackson County Animal Services has coordinated with the National Park Service, and the animals are expected to be taken to a local shelter once caught.
Residents Push Back on ‘Aggressive’ Label
But people who have encountered the dogs describe a very different reality than the “aggressive” report suggests. Witnesses describe the dogs as frightened and wary rather than dangerous — a pair of scared animals looking for food, not a fight.
“That dog was very nice but extremely scared. These dogs were dumped off by somebody, and they are scared and timid,” another resident told the outlet.
“These dogs are hungry, and they’re used to people feeding them. So, they came up to her thinking maybe she had food or something. I don’t think these dogs are going to hurt anybody,” they continued.
Some social media users shared a similar sentiment, but chose to err on the side of caution because of their toddler.
We encountered these dogs and they weren’t super aggressive but were barking at us,” one mother wrote under WLOS’s Facebook post. “We had our toddler with us and decided to leave just because they were barking and coming up to us but I think they were just hungry.”
The tension between the official report and on-the-ground accounts has fueled growing concern on social media, where many users are following the dogs’ story and advocating for their rescue.
NPS Asks Public Not to Approach
Despite the sympathy surrounding the situation, the National Park Service is urging visitors to keep their distance.
“We ask that the public notify park officials immediately if they spot dogs off leash in this area and do not approach or attempt to capture or feed the animals,” the NPS wrote in a statement, per WLOS.
The appeal highlights the difficulty of the situation: two animals that residents say are starving, paired with official guidance telling people not to feed them.
For now, the trapping operations continue. Somewhere along a quiet stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway, a white dog and a brown dog with a wounded face are still out there — waiting to be found.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
