A therapeutic miniature horse is now the one requiring care after its ear was bitten off in an attack by two pit bulls south of Nanaimo on Monday.
The two-and-a-half-foot-tall horse, named HaliBerry, was first attacked by the dogs in its stall and the attack continued out into the field, said the horsesa国际传媒檚 owner, Eileen Stevens, of Golden Maples Farm in Cassidy.
sa国际传媒淢y horse is very badly injured, shesa国际传媒檚 missing her left ear, but shesa国际传媒檚 a fighter sa国际传媒� and shesa国际传媒檚 going to recover,sa国际传媒� Stevens said.
The dogs broke through her stucco wire fence sa国际传媒渓ike it was spaghettisa国际传媒� and Stevens spotted them outside her door when she went to take her horse for its morning walk. After she realized what was happening, she phoned her brother who came right away, and the two of them tried to fight off the dogs with a walker and a broom.
sa国际传媒淚t was so frightening because it was all happening so fast, but it seemed like so longsa国际传媒a国际传媒� Stevens said. sa国际传媒淚 just wish I could stop the pictures in my head. To see her running and then when that dog got her ear, part of me says, thank God I donsa国际传媒檛 have full hearing because I couldnsa国际传媒檛 hear her scream. Because horses will scream.sa国际传媒�
Stevens said she decided to talk to the media about the incident both to correct some misinformation that was spreading, and also to let people know about the dog ownersa国际传媒檚 response. She said he surrendered his animals to be euthanized and is paying all her veterinary bills.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 such an unfortunate accident because this man has lost his two dogs now and theysa国际传媒檙e family petssa国际传媒a国际传媒� Stevens said. sa国际传媒淚 know his pain, because Isa国际传媒檝e had to put animals down before and Isa国际传媒檓 just hoping and praying that we donsa国际传媒檛 have to do that with HaliBerry, that shesa国际传媒檚 going to pull out of this.sa国际传媒�
The horse is going to survive, said Colin Scruton, equine surgeon at Equerry Equine Surgery and Sports Medicine hospital in Nanaimo. He said if the bites near a joint had become infected, or if the bites had punctured the abdomen, sa国际传媒渢hen yes, it could have been worse, but no, it wasnsa国际传媒檛 worse.sa国际传媒�
Scruton said although treating a horse for dog bites isnsa国际传媒檛 common, it comes down to wound management. Cleaning up the wounds took a long time and the horse was given antibiotics.
sa国际传媒淥ur next challenge is to allow the wounds time to heal and hopefully where there once was an ear canal, for the wound to [heal] so at some point we can skin graft it in the future,sa国际传媒� he said.
Scruton said psychologically, the horse seems normal.
sa国际传媒淪he was in a lot of pain and suffering and shock for the first day, but shesa国际传媒檚 very interactive [now],sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚 have photos of her playing with my son yesterday.sa国际传媒�
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Stevens said she once owned a pit bull sa国际传媒渁nd it was a lovely animalsa国际传媒� and said she thinks Mondaysa国际传媒檚 attack was just a case of dogs getting together and having a sa国际传媒減ack mentality.sa国际传媒�
Stevens said a farrier, who is a friend of hers, has agreed to look after HaliBerry for the time being. Stevens said she might start up a GoFundMe to build a new shed because shesa国际传媒檚 concerned the existing stall will no longer seem like a safe space for her horse. The therapeutic care HaliBerry has provided will be on hold. Stevens said some people like to brush and talk to the horse, or a two-year-old might just sit on the horse and giggle.
sa国际传媒淪hesa国际传媒檚 that gentle. Everybody falls in love with her,sa国际传媒� Stevens said.
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