BLACK MOUNTAIN ó Buncombe County Sheriffís deputies set a trap last Wednesday for a pair of wolf dogs that have been terrorizing residents in the southeastern corner of the county, but so far the animals have not taken the bait.

The animals reportedly killed two dogs and injured a third after escaping from their owner on June 18.

The dogs were sighted again last Saturday by a Henderson County man who says they tried to attack his dog.

Authorities have warned residents of the Broad River community to keep children and pets inside in the wake of the attacks.

Deputies set the trap after the animalsí owner reported that they had come home, but that she was unable to get control of them. At her urging, deputies stayed away Thursday night, hoping that she would be able to catch them.

The trap left on her property was intended to bait the wolf dogs with food into a cage. However, so far the animals have returned to the home numerous times, but have stayed clear of the baited trap.

Four full-time deputies and one retired deputy have been searching a radius of up to five miles in a remote area about 15 miles south of Black Mountain since the attacks. They have spotted the animals several times, but have not been able to capture them.

Deputies hope to shoot the animals with tranquilizer darts.

Witnesses say the two dogs are large, one white and one black. The white dog is reportedly about 150 pounds.

Wolf dogs are those that have a pure wolf ancestor within five generations.

The sheriffís department issued a dangerous-animal alert after the attacks. In one incident, Gayle Nanney reportedly saw five dogs appear in her backyard and fatally attack her 13-year-old Jack Russell terrier Goobie.

Nanneyís other dog, a basset hound, was also harassed by the animals.

One of the wolf dogs was fatally shot by a resident during an attack. That animal had been embedded with a microchip that led deputies to its owner. Authorities said it is too early to determine whether the animalsí owner will face criminal charges.

This is not the first time wolf dogs have been a problem in the area. Goobie had been attacked by a group of wolf dogs that escaped three years ago, Nanney said.

Normally, any wolf dog rendered to the county would likely be euthanized, a spokesperson for the department said.