Riverside County authorities seeking owner of dogs that fatally attacked wild donkey

Riverside County Department of Animal Services officials are seeking help from the public in locating a pair of dogs that were recently involved in an attack on a wild burro, part of a series of attacks on the creatures dating back to late 2025. 

"The burro was attacked near Reche Canyon, and a local resident filmed the attack on their phone," a news release from the Riverside County Department of Animal Services said.

After wildlife officials were able to contact the person who recorded the video, they also received a photo of the dogs involved in the incident. They gathered more information from other residents in the area and were able to determine that the dogs involved are a large black Cane Corso and a black and tan Shepherd mix. 

"Because of the resident's quick action filming and reporting the incident to us we are now looking for the public's help to find these two dogs," said a statement from RCDAS Field Commander Lesley Huennekens. "We have shared what we know with our partner agencies as we continue our investigation, and we ask the public to call our call center when they have information to share."

Officials said that the attack happened on Tuesday, March 31, near Keissel Road, where the donkey was found dead by RCDAS officers. It's the latest in at least 11 attacks on donkeys dating back to December 2025, wildlife officials told CBS LA in February. At the time, SoCal Equine Hospital Dr. Juan Castellanos said that the attacks appeared to be more consistent with a dog attack than a human-related incident. 

However, there have been several instances since early 2025 in which wild burrows were found shot by arrows.

Anyone who knows more about the dogs or their possible owner is asked to contact RCDAS at (951) 358-7387.