Two goats were killed early Wednesday morning by a pair of dogs that broke into their fenced pasture near the Vashon Golf & Swim Club on Maury Island, according to the owners, John and Sandra Schubert.

One of the dogs appeared to be a very large malamute/husky mix; the other was a smaller version, possibly a young offspring of the large dog, John Schubert said.

The two goats — Samantha, a 9-year-old boer-angora mix, and Buddy, a 4-year-old white Saanen — were badly mutilated. Their ears were ripped off and Buddy’s juggler vein was punctured, Schubert said. The couple feels sick about the death of the two animals, creatures they considered pets.

“I feel like I lost a dog. These were very close pets,” Schubert said.

Sandra Schubert woke up to the sound of their dogs barking at around 4 a.m., grabbed a flashlight and went out to their pasture. After she encountered the two dogs, she ran back to the house and woke up her husband, and both returned to the pasture, carrying a rake and a shovel.

Even with the tools in hand, however, the couple couldn’t chase the dogs off their property, John Schubert said. The animals stood their ground for several minutes, backing off a bit when Sandra began banging her shovel against the fence. The two dogs finally slipped under the fence; John hopped in his car, hoping to follow them to their home, but the dogs disappeared into some bushes.

The Schuberts have contacted the King County Sheriff’s Office, Fair Isle Animal Clinic and Vashon Island Pet Protectors to spread the word about the rogue dogs. They might also post photos of their mutilated pets as another way to alert people. “They’re pretty gruesome pictures,” John Schubert said.

Barbara Drinkwater, who coordinates the dog program for VIPP, expressed dismay over the Schuberts’ report, adding that dogs should never be allowed to roam.

“If these dogs are on the loose, there’s no reason it won’t happen again,” she added.