The Department of Land and Natural Resources is asking for the public’s help in identifying the owners of two dogs that recently mauled nesting Laysan albatrosses in Moloaa, Kauai.

Twenty-seven seabirds have been killed by dogs at coastal properties on the island’s northeast shore since December. Of that figure, a team of wildlife biologists and conservation enforcement officers found 18 dead birds in Moloaa near Larsen’s Beach and nine birds at an adjoining property.

One dog is large and brown, possibly a Great Dane, and the second is black, possibly a Labrador.

Laysan albatross killings by dogs have been an ongoing problem on Kauai as well as on other islands, especially during the nesting season when the albatross is most vulnerable while they lay on eggs.

DLNR have posted and distributed fliers in Kauai’s northeast shore of a photo of two dogs that were recently observed attacking birds in the area. Dog traps were also set up Friday.

Officials are asking for the public’s help to protect the albatross, reminding pet owners to keep their dogs leashed when they go to the beach, fish or walk along the coastline. Kauai Branch wildlife biologist Thomas Kaiakapu also urged owners not to let their dogs out at night.

Kaiakapu said the dogs would form a pack with neighboring and loose dogs, find a colony and kill the birds.

"This is what has been going on from December until now," he said during a phone interview from Kauai. "It’s a natural instinct for dogs to kill and chase."

When they see a bird like the albatross, they would run after it and play with the bird until the bird becomes exhausted, he said.

"They would bite the bird, toss it in the air and bite it again until it dies. And then they move on to the next bird," he added.

By the next morning, bird carcasses are scattered across the grounds.

Among the dead birds are mating pairs, Kaiakapu said.

The nesting season for the Laysan albatross starts in November. During this period, one mate is out to sea for several days in search of food.

Laysan albatross, which can live up to 60, are listed as a near-threatened species under the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red List, according to DLNR.

Anyone with information on the owner of the two dogs is asked to call the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife at 274-3521 or 274-3433. Calls also can be made to the Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement Hotline at 453-6780.