Loose herd of cattle causing chaos in Pittsburgh-area housing development
ADAMS TOWNSHIP, Pa.(KDKA) -- If you live in a residential neighborhood, it's not a typical sight to see out your bedroom window. A herd of cattle has found its way into a Mars neighborhood and those who live there say it's been an ongoing problem for months.
There's a farm just over the hillside off Abigail Drive, and apparently, there are several fences down, giving cows and bulls access to stroll down the streets, damaging yards, Christmas lights and even scaring some residents.
"I think the bull is what is scary. It's huge," said Cora Pahel.
A herd of cattle, even bulls, have made their way into a local neighborhood in Adams Township, leaving quite a mess behind for residents that live there.
"My mulch beds were all torn up and the shrubbery, they were sampling them to see what they could eat there and there was dirt and mulch all over the porch and so forth. And as you might imagine there are quite a few piles of poop out there too," Donna Pahel said.
Donna Pahel and her mother say they've seen the herd since the summer, and recently, it's only gotten worse.
"We have a lot of children in the neighborhood and I have my parents living with me and my mom loves to be outside and so forth. So I'm always concerned for her safety because they are to be treated like wild animals and they can be unpredictable," Donna said.
Some neighbors tell KDKA-TV that just last night, they were walking their dogs when they ran into a bull standing in the street.
"Just the damage that I know a lot of neighbors have experienced is really -- it's not acceptable."
KDKA-TV talked to the farmer who owns the cattle. He says several trees have fallen on his fences, allowing them to move wherever they please. He had workers out Thursday making repairs.
Meanwhile, those who live in the Brookhaven Housing Development say they just want to feel safe in their own neighborhood again.
"I mean, the farm and farmers are very important to our communities and so forth. So I have some curiosity about what's going on there and what can be done to help but the situation as it is right now is progressing in a way that it's more frequent. There's more damage occurring, and it's just not a viable situation for anyone involved," Donna said.
Right now, there are no laws within the township or action that police can take to get these cows back where they belong. There's a township meeting on Monday to discuss an ordinance that could help resolve the problem.
