Uh Oh.... Not Again Pit Bull attack

[Magic]

Oh no, I'm SO sorry!

What a horrible thing to go through-- AGAIN. Dang stupid dog-owners!!!!

As for the fence issue, well... We are now getting a five-foot tall no-climb fence installed, but the cost is close to $20,000 for 13 acres. Imagine the cost if Tony had his 200 acres done!

: Dogs can dig underneath if they are so inclined, and from the research I've been doing into coyotes, which can reach upwards of 45 pounds in the mountain types, they can easily get over eight-foot high fences, and some have been observed scaling a 14-foot fence. :new_shocked:

Yes, good fences are a start, but no guarantee against dogs or other predators. The only guarantee would be IF these people would RESTRAIN their dogs. Like THAT is ever going to happen, sigh...

Again, Tony, I am so sorry for all you have been going through, and I am praying that Top Cat will pull thru...

:

 

[Devon]

Oh thats awful and SO stressfull. Hope you can rest tonight after all this commotion hioep your boys ok.

:

 

[KanoasDestiny]

When you think about it...Tony's whole experience was GOOD luck. Ok, maybe not the fact that his horse got attacked by dogs, but everything that was connected to it, was good luck. Had one thing been out of place, the outcome could have been so much worse. Let me explain...

People actually stopped to get involved. I can say that in my neighborhood, a lot of people would have watched horrified, but would not have gotten involved to save an animal. When you have two dogs, in this case pit bulls, many people would fear that the dogs would turn their attention to anything that approached. Not only did these people get involved, but they actually held onto one of the dogs that was bloodied from the attack.

Then for a horse to jump/fall from a moving horse trailer on a road with other motorists and survive is a miracle in itself. I've heard horror stories of this happening on our local freeway, and the horses did not survive, due to being struck by other vehicles. Perhaps the rain caused people to drive slower, or for not so many people to be out in it, but either way, no one further hurt the horse after it left the horse trailer. And the fact that someone stopped and held the horse, again becoming involved, is wonderful.

The horse could have been hurt so much worse than it was. That in itself is good luck. And then after everything, Tony's vehicle stopped running AFTER he had already gotten his horse to the vet's and made it pretty muchly home. Looks to me, like someone was looking out for Tony, because had just one thing been done differently, this situation could have been a whole lot worse.

 

[_minihorses4ever_]

Oh Tony, it always happens to you, doesn't it? :no:

Thank goodness you caught one of the dogs, and I hope you (or someone) catches the other before it attacks again.

God bless your little stallion and your family, y'all don't deserve this!

 

[Humhill]

Unless the parameters for Pit Bull fighting have been changed they were never bred to fight to the death- I am NOT condoning dog fighting, but those are the facts, they are bred to "match fight" that is all.

Maybe the street fights, in gangs, are to the death, but that was never the purpose.

It is a heinous business altogether, but we do need to get our facts right and not just follow the media hysteria.

Over here, that's the whole purpose.

 

[miniwhinny]

((((HUGS)))) to you Tony.

I just hope that one day my little guys can say they were as loved and cared for by me as yours are by you.

 

[maplegum]

Ohhhh how horrific!

I'm reading so many reports on this site about dog attacks.

My heart breaks for you and your lovely horse/s.

My thoughts are with you.

 

[minih]

So sorry to hear you are still having dog problems. It had been so quiet I had hoped your problems were over. I hope your little guy will be ok.

 

[Tony]

Thanks so much to everyone for your sentiments. Didn't post for sympathy, but more for therapy, I guess. For anyone that feels I am irresponsible, let me share a little more:

1. We have three full sized donkeys in various pastures and three miniature donkeys.

2. We have eight llamas, one of which saved Too Incredible several years ago when he was attacked by three dogs.

3. We have two mules.

4. We have five Great Pyrenees/Anatolian dogs.

5. We got an estimate for adding mesh to ONE SIDE of our property. The best estimate was over $37,000 and that wasn't even new fence, just overlaying what is already there.

It is not practical to try to put 260 head of miniatures in a smaller fenced area. Probably the smartest move would be just to give up and sell out... Believe me that thought went through my head speeding down I-35. There are 1500 houses going in on one side of us and forty-six on the other side.

 

[JO~*]

Boy if anyone ever had a reason to dislike dogs (of any breed) it would be you.

I hope this NEVER happens to you again.

 

[kaykay]

tony anyone who knows or has met you knows you are not irresponsible! I think you have done a tremendous job of trying to control this. Those of us who have followed the story know you have gone to extreme lenghts to keep the dogs out with donkeys, llamas, guard dogs etc. Sometimes no matter what we do stuff happens. You could build a dang concrete wall and still something somehow could happen.

I know first hand the kind of stress you are talking about (just different situation) and its horrible and mentally and physically exhausting.

Anyone who hints that you havent done what you can should be ashamed of themselves.

 

[just2minis]

I am so very sorry this happened to you again.

 

[Belinda]

Tony

So sorry this has happened again. Good for you getting rid of at least one of the dogs. Once they kill it is a habit for them.

As far as the no climb and Cattle panels, I have it !!!! And guess what , Yepper , sitting on my front porch watched 3 walker hound / beagle cross , come right on in the pasture from the highway. !! So where did that stop them, ??

Although they came into my shetland pasture, and man which I could show you the video. Horses starting chasing them , dogs took off running back toward the fence, LOL !! My husband had to go down and pull the one dog out of a tree he was wedged in.. and was trying to get the dogs on the golf cart to get them out of the pasture , and the ponies were chasing them on the golf cart..

:

If you could have heard those dogs yelping and screaming you would have thought the horses had killed them. That time it was funny , the next time could be a scene like you had, I guess what I trying to say , is there is NO SURE way to keep dogs out.. And fencing 200 acres in no climb fence would not be in my budget either.

But Tony it is not your fault as you well know.. And sometimes the things suggested here are great for those that just a few horses and 10 or 20 acres... but just workable for large farms..

Hope the boy gets well soon.

 

[miniapp]

It is not practical to try to put 260 head of miniatures in a smaller fenced area. Probably the smartest move would be just to give up and sell out... Believe me that thought went through my head speeding down I-35. There are 1500 houses going in on one side of us and forty-six on the other side.

Aww, Tony, I would sure hate to see that happen! Maybe with the new developments going in there might be a way to be pro-active on the dog issue, such as talking with the developers, posting signs about dog attacks and taking what has happened to you to the residents.. (ie: Have a kind of "town hall meeting", take photos of the horses killed, photos of the dogs who did this and make it personal.. and take one of your lovely horses with you so that people could actually SEE cause and affect... sooooo many people look the other way, whether it is kids or pets, thinking that if I don't see it, it couldn't have happened..) I don't know, it is just a thought... and it might give the residents pause for thought if they knew that their dogs would be taken out.

Also, while I am in agreement with good fencing, if a dog is determined, believe me they will find a way in. Watched 2 German Shepards scale my heavy duty, non-climb fencing with a hot wire on top AND bottom and jump in with my broodmares.. (large horses... ) thank heavens I was there and thank heavens for :new_2gunsfiring_v1: . We shot one and got the other one with a pitchfork and let it out so it would run home. Followed it and almost took out my neighbors... who SWORE that their dogs couldn't have done that... :no: :new_argue:

Man, I feel for you, Tony... I just wish that there was a straightforward way to deal with this....

Suzy Hooper

Show Horses by Suzy

Fresno, CA

 

[Mona]

Tony, I am sorry if you felt that my question about your dogs made you feel as though I was implying that you are irresponsible. I in NO WAY intended that at all! I was curious to know if the guardian dogs were in another area or within the area that the attack dogs were in...wondering why the guardians never went after them. I knew you had gotten the guardians, and several of them. I just was curious as to how these PB snuck past them is all.

Thanks so much to everyone for your sentiments. Didn't post for sympathy, but more for therapy, I guess. For anyone that feels I am irresponsible, let me share a little more:

1. We have three full sized donkeys in various pastures and three miniature donkeys.

2. We have eight llamas, one of which saved Too Incredible several years ago when he was attacked by three dogs.

3. We have two mules.

4. We have five Great Pyrenees/Anatolian dogs.

5. We got an estimate for adding mesh to ONE SIDE of our property. The best estimate was over $37,000 and that wasn't even new fence, just overlaying what is already there.

It is not practical to try to put 260 head of miniatures in a smaller fenced area. Probably the smartest move would be just to give up and sell out... Believe me that thought went through my head speeding down I-35. There are 1500 houses going in on one side of us and forty-six on the other side.

 

[iluvwalkers]

I AM SO SORRY THIS HAS HAPPENED TO YOU...AGAIN. I DID NOT AT ANY POINT IN READING YOUR POST THINK YOU WERE IRRESPONSIBLE AND I CAN'T SEE WERE ANYONE ELSE DID EITHER BUT MAYBE I AM MISSING SOMETHING

: . AGAIN I AM GLAD YOUR BOY IS ALIVE AND WILL HEAL. GOOD LUCK WITH THOSE ROTTEN DOGS! NIKKI

 

[Marnie]

I'm so sorry this has happened again to you. With all those houses going up, there's bound to be more dogs coming around too. I don't see any way to avoid these things, I know you've tried everything, I hope your little horse is ok, thank heavens those people stopped to help.

 

[hairicane]

" We truly thought the fencing was secure enough to keep all dogs out. But where there is a will, there's a way."

Thats totally true! After over 30 years of raising and showing dogs a determined dog can get through, over or under almost any barrier. Im so sorry and hope the lovely stallion will recover. What a shame your beautiful boys are getting torn up. At least thanks to some good people getting involved his life was saved. I sure hope this years foaling season goes MUCH better and safer for u!

 

[Cara]

:no: :no: :no: wow i was crying throught the whole thing! that poor stud! good job! it sounds like you handeled it well! :bgrin ! good job!!!

 

[^T-bird89^]

oh my gosh. thats all i can say. :no: thank god Top Hat is going to be ok....the poor kid. i'm so sorry. give him a hug for me.