Us humans are such a superstitious bunch, even today in the age of science and logic you can find countless people who believe in age-old superstitions. But these beliefs in supernatural occurrences were most common hundreds of years ago, back when everyone believed in the undead and other wicked beings. They had folktales for nearly everything – including vampire dogs. Woof!
There are a number of tales that involve vampires and animals, and many of these stories involve a vicious and incredibly deadly vampire dog. One case involving vampire dogs took place in 1810 on the borders between Scotland and England. Many reported corpses of sheep completely drained of blood, and no flesh eaten. These animals were bit through their jugular and completely drained. Supposedly it was common for eight to ten animals to be slaughtered in such a manner. The theory was that it was the work of a vampire dog.
In 1874 another series of killings took place, this time in Cavan, Ireland, where up to thirty animals a night were allegedly killed by a vampire dog. The method was the same as above, the animals were bit on the neck and drained of their blood. The creature was said to have left behind long tracks, dog-like, but larger and deeper than the average dog. The epidemic spread across to other areas and got to the point where farmers shot every stray dog they saw. By April, the monstrous dog made its way to Limerick, nearly a hundred miles away from Cavan, where it began attacking humans instead of just animals. On April 17 the Cavan Weekly News reported that several people had been bitten by the vampire dog and that these victims were placed into an insane asylum because they were “labouring under strange symptoms of insanity.”
Was this really the work of a vampire dog? Or was it simply a rabid dog in an area full of superstitious people?
– Moonlight
“Chupacabra”