SANFORD, Fla. -- Residents in Sanford are concerned about their pets' safety after about 60 cats were found dead in recent months.

It was believed that wild dogs were to blame for the deaths, but Local 6 News reported that domesticated dogs may be responsible for the killings.

City officials said the dogs are not looking for food but want something live to chase.

"They pulled the nails out. These are mostly dog prints (and) dog teeth marks," Wanda Chandler, whose cat was recently killed, said, pointing to her pet rabbit's cage.

Chandler said her rabbit may be used as live bait in a supervised scheme to catch the attacking animals.

"It's just an unprecedented situation, and it needs an unprecedented resolution at this point," Chandler said.

Animal control has set up traps over a 10-mile radius but none of the dogs has been captured.

"To have cats stay indoors is really the safest place to have a cat. It's also the safest place to have your dog," Animal Services Director Mike Wittmer said.

"First of all, some cats don't want to be inside. And if they're used to being outside cats, they're not going to be happy inside, and they can really create problems," Chandler said. "No. 2, if we don't have some cats -- we have some rodents -- we had mice and rats before we had our able-bodied cat outside."

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.