By Scott Taylor,Staff Writer

GREENE – Officials this weekend hope to charge the owners of two Rottweilers that attacked a herd of goats on Merrill Hill Road on Wednesday.

Animal Control Officer Wendell Strout said Friday that he had not been able to contact the owners to serve a summons. The owners likely will be charged with two counts of allowing a dog to run at large, Strout said.

The dogs were shot and killed by goat farmer Sheldon Bubier, who found the dogs attacking his herd. Seven of the 20 goats died from their wounds.

Strout declined to name the dogs’ owners until the summons had been served.

“The damage has been done at this point,” he said Friday. “There’s not much we can do about the situation. They will be served and will have their day in court.”

Bubier said Friday that he expects seven more goats to die of their wounds.

“If they do recover, I don’t know what kind of shape they’ll be in,” Bubier said. “I don’t know if they’ll be capable of being milked, or even standing.”

All seven suffered severe damage, he said. “There’s not much we can do but treat them with antibiotics and hope for the best.”

The dogs killed four of his goats right away, and three others had to be put down because of the injuries they suffered. Only five escaped injury.

Bubier happened upon the attack while it was in progress Wednesday morning. He shot and killed both dogs with a rifle.

Bubier said he doesn’t know who the dogs belonged to, and he doesn’t care.

“It’s not my job,” he said. “It’s better that I don’t know. I’m very angry right now, and I just hope that somebody pays for this. I hope animal control is going to do their job and that someone is held responsible.”

Strout said earlier this week that he would ask the court to order that restitution be made to Bubier. Stout estimated Bubier’s loss at between $3,000 and $5,000.