A dog that is believed to have killed a miniature horse and injured another Saturday is under quarantine at the Edgartown pound, animal control officer Barbara Prada said early Sunday afternoon.
A dog that is believed to have killed a miniature horse and injured another Saturday is under quarantine at the Edgartown pound, animal control officer Barbara Prada said early Sunday afternoon.
The two miniature horses were attacked at the Meetinghouse Way Farm owned by Ellen Harley sometime Saturday afternoon. Magik, Ms. Harley's horse, was killed, while Chance, owned by Kirsten Davey, was injured and recovering Sunday.
Ms. Prada said a tip led the Edgartown police department to the dog owned by Adam Mahoney of Island Grove. The Mahoneys confirmed that their dog Mugsy, a three-year-old neutered American Staffordshire-bulldog cross, had been on the loose Saturday and had returned home bloody and muddy and covered with scratches. Ms Prada said the owners are cooperating fully with the police and animal control department. “The owners feel terrible and they had no idea,” Ms. Prada said.
A second dog, a four-year-old neutered pointer cross also owned by the Mahoneys, was on the loose as well on Saturday, but Ms. Prada said the dog had no scratches and was not bloody and was likely not involved in the incident. The Mahoneys now face a choice of whether to have the dog put down, Ms. Prada said. “We talked about it and the owners are going to think about it,” she said. If the owners do not decide to put the dog down, the owner of the horse may press charges, in which case the matter would be referred to the selectmen and Ms. Prada would be asked to make a recommendation.
Early Sunday, Ms. Prada and police were looking for a large dog or possibly pack of dogs in the Meetinghouse Way area of town following the incident.
Ms. Prada said the miniature horse was killed sometime between 11 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on the Harley farm.
Ms. Prada’s assistant, Jamie Pience-Riley, was on duty and called her when she was received the report late Saturday afternoon. A woman who had been feeding and caring for the horses found a gruesome scene in the paddock with one miniature horse dead and another injured.
Ms. Prada said the animal that killed the horse cleared a four-foot split-rail fence that was lined with sheep fencing and was intact. She said there was no evidence that the horses had been chased or dragged down. Two other full-sized horses nearby were unharmed, she said.
“There were no bite marks on the horse [that was killed], the dog went right for the jugular, telling me the dog had done something like this before. It has to be a good-sized dog, or possibly dogs,” Ms. Prada said early Sunday. She said the horse that was killed had most of its face ripped off. The injured horse had puncture wounds, was treated on the scene by its owner and was recovering at the farm Sunday.
There were no known witnesses to the incident.
Ms. Prada said by protocol she called an Edgartown police officer and the chairman of the board of selectmen to the scene as witnesses. Board chairman Margaret Serpa and Edgartown police officer William Bishop responded.
“Honestly it was probably the most horrific animal complaint call I have responded to,” Officer Bishop said Sunday morning.
Farm owners in the Meetinghouse Way area, a rural area on the outskirts of Edgartown that reaches down to the Edgartown Great Pond, were notified to be extra vigilant in minding their livestock.
Before Mugsy was found, there was some speculation about whether a coyote was responsible. Ms. Prada thought this was highly unlikely, and Augustus (Gus) Ben David 2nd of Edgartown, a noted Vineyard authority on wildlife biology who has carefully tracked a small handful of coyote sightings on the Vineyard in the past two years, concurred.
“I can tell you on very firm biological grounds that this is not a coyote kill,” Mr. Ben David said Sunday morning. “We haven’t had a reliable coyote sighting in well over a year, and this is an atypical situation. If we did have coyotes here, at this time of year there is a plethora of wildlife for them to eat,” he said. He also noted that the small handful of sightings were on the remote north shore area of the Island. “We have never had a sighting down Island,” Mr. Ben David said.
“This is very likely a canine and people should be on the lookout because it’s in the nature of canines to go back to the scene and do it again. The odds that this was a coyote are almost nil,” Mr. Ben David said.
Comments
Thanks Gus BenDavid for
Jessica Burnham EdgartownThanks Gus BenDavid for stating in your professional opinion what I think is most likely too. The coyote rumor is running rampant and if we believe it was an elusive wild animal we most likely won't ever figure out whose dog or dogs are responsible.
The next time you see a loose
deshandra brown obThe next time you see a loose dog take a picture or video with your cellphone. Provide it to the local animal control officer so action can be taken.
They are going to think about
Joe EdgartownThey are going to think about putting the dog down? What is there to think about?
I totally agree. What is
Brenda Oak bluffsI totally agree. What is there to think about???? The next time it could be a small child or two children or someone walking there pet. Do the right thing now!!!!
Good job reporting and
SCOTT R New JerseyGood job reporting and putting an end to speculation about this terrible story for readers of this particular Island newspaper.
I am sorry for everyone
Ann DickinsonI am sorry for everyone concerned, especially the owners of these gentle horses and the horses themselves. There is really not much to think about- this could easily have been a child. I'm sure the dog's owners, with heavy hearts, will reach the correct conclusion.
Although this is a very
KevinAlthough this is a very unfortunate event I think the owners of the dog are to be commended. Many people in their situation would not come forward. It gives me hope that there still are decent honest people in this world. I also tend to agree with Joe. I do not see how the dog cannot be put down. It is now an experienced killer and unlikely to be safely controlled in the future. However, it is much easier for us to say put the dog down than it is for the owners to come to terms with the fact that it must be done.
How is it that both of the
Steve Auerbach OBHow is it that both of the Mahoney's dogs were on the loose? I don't want to judge them, but there is no excuse for that.
Kevin, I wholeheartedly agree
Aron Levy West TisburyKevin, I wholeheartedly agree.
While I wish there was some way to send the dog somewhere it could never kill again, that is highly unlikely. There is only one viable option. And it is a very sad one.
Mugsy, a three-year-old
Ken EdgartownMugsy, a three-year-old neutered American Staffordshire-bulldog cross. Just another fancy name for a pit bull. When are they going to ban these dogs all together? I feel sorry for the owner of the miniature horse, I think I seen him in many July 4th parades in Edgartown.
Hey Ken, as the saying goes
Aron Levy West TisburyHey Ken, as the saying goes there are no bad dogs; only bad owners.
Would you be seeking to ban German Shepard Dogs or Mastiffs or Belgian Malinois if it turned out that one of them carried out the attack?
Please try not to make knee-jerk reactions like that.
What happened to poor Majic is simply inexcusable. And Mugsy should be dealt with accordingly.
But to ban all pit bull dogs? That is a step too far, sir.
No bad dogs? Sadly, this
Debbie Bell PhiladelphiaNo bad dogs? Sadly, this attack was the work of a "good" pit bull, doing what pits were created to do. Before pits, we had a single human fatality a year in the 70's. Now, with pits, we have dozens of human fatalities, joggers shredded, dogs on walks disemboweled. Read any pit bull book published before the 1980s, then read between the lines. This is why ALL USA dog fighters (the kill or die trying style of dog fighting) all choose pits.
Become pit bull aware. Watch these YouTube videos of pits in action. These titles can be pasted into the YouTube search bar. The pit bull vs cavalo is very impressive.
"pit bull vs cavalo"
"pitbull kills its owner"
"man stops to help woman during dog attack"
"father saves son, 5, from dog attack"
"cuida tu pitbull para que no suseda esto"
All these are happy pit bulls, doing what feels right to them.
Pits are victims too of these man-made mutations. Let's stop making more victims now. Ban pit breeding, sale, mongering. Although selfish, sadistic dog fighters created pit bulls, that is not good reason to continue making more pits.
RSPCA Victoria president Dr
Thomas McCartneyRSPCA Victoria president Dr Hugh Wirth blogs on the pit bull problem in Victoria.
THE RSPCA has renewed calls for a ban on American pit bulls after a man was attacked and his pet dog killed yesterday.
RSPCA Victoria president Dr Hugh Wirth said the dogs were a menace and were not suitable as pets for anyone.
"They are time bombs waiting for the right circumstances,'' Dr Wirth said.
"The American pit bull terrier is lethal because it was a breed that was developed purely for dog fighting, in other words killing the opposition.
"They should never have been allowed into the country. They are an absolute menace."
"The Mahoneys now face a
Chris"The Mahoneys now face a choice of whether to have the dog put down." Really??? There should be no choice in this tragic case. Staffordshire is a fancy name for pit bull, a breed known for its churlish, vicious nature. By admittedly letting their dogs run loose, the owners are responsible for the death of one horse and the injuries incurred by the other. The brutal dog should be euthanized, and the horse owners should seek damages from the dog owners.
What advices would you give
Willy NewtonWhat advices would you give the Mahoneys regarding Ellen Harley.
1 This is precisely what pits
Debbie Bell Philadelphia1 This is precisely what pits were created to do. Forget the semantics and lies of the pit BULLY people. Good pits are happy when attacking and killing. Good pits do not need to be trained to attack, as it is instinct. Training MAY modify behavior, and instinct varies from dog to dog, but instinct is inside, invisible and it's impossible to know when it may surface and guide a dog's behavior. Read any pit bull book written before the pit mongering began in the 1980s. Pits do not give warning because the goal of a good pit is the fight, the mauling; warnings are for dogs who do not want to fight, who want to chase the intruder away. Pits do not let the victim leave, or live, as they want to continue mauling. Some adult human victims have been dragged home, so the pit can continue mauling in leisure.
This may help to clear up any
Martha MageeThis may help to clear up any confusion about the breed:
http://www.cesarsway.com/dogbehavior/basics/How-Did-Pit-Bulls-Get-a-Bad…
As tragic as the loss of this
Martha Magee MVAs tragic as the loss of this little horse is, Humans are responsible here.
A dog left to roam will easily revert to instinct. Some more than orhers. Every time a dog pounces and tears apart a squeaky toy he is reenacting the in nstinct to kill. To a dog the squeaky represents the cries of the animal he is about to kill.
As a former dog handler/ trainer and lifelong devoted dog lover I can tell you that as sad as this story is the dog is not the problem here or the party here to be condemed. As nice as they might be ( and a lot of nice people have dogs without a clue how to raise or train a balanced dog) the owners are responsible for the whereabouts of the dog at all times. Dogs need regular walks ON the leash, plenty of exercise daily, time and attention and calm assertive energy with clear boundaries from the humans. The dog needs to know who is pack leader, and it must be the human.
These humans need training. The dog needs rehabilitation. If Mugsy's owners for whatever reason can't manage the leap then I would ask an experienced dog owner trainer to come forward and adopt Mugsy and put him through his schooling from the ground up with a probation period to be determined.
Humans are always responsible for the wherabouts and behavior of their dogs .
ALWAYS - without exception. Occasionally, a dog will have a screw loose, but that is very rare.
A message to the humans: I would urge more information to be gathered and an informed view of the larger picture be conaidered before moving in for the kill.
This sounds like a case for Cesar Millan. He is a master at resolving this sort of thing; brilliantly and wisely.
Should anyone directly involved here wish to contact him, I have his address.
Domesticated animals are innocents. They rely on the bumans to keep them and everybody else safe,
Humans are responsible.
Martha: Very well said. As an
Caroline New YorkMartha: Very well said. As an owner of a pit that is registered with my town as a service dog, and who also goes to hospitals to help patients recover, he is impeccably trained by me. Socialized from day one. He knows his rules and likes living in a home with those rules. That is the key with all dogs, not just pit bulls. I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiment: it is the human who is responsible for this terrible incident.
When I first read this story, before it was determined to be a dog, I thought to myself, please don't let this be a pit bull because I KNEW, if that were the case, the anti-pit bull crowd would come out in droves. I was right. Banning the breed is absurd. Absolutely absurd. Are children banned when parents don't parent and the children kill?
A dog does not kill a horse
Brenda Grant British ColumbiaA dog does not kill a horse and tear it's face off because it isn't walked enough, or doesn't get enough attention, or isn't trained enough. If this was regular dog behavior, people on farms would have never kept dogs. This dog did what it was purpose bred for hundreds of years to do. It does not need rehabilitation, therapists or Cesar milan. it needs euthanization before more animals or humans get torn apart.
Good friends I know had a 14
Caroline New YorkGood friends I know had a 14 year old golden retriever, the neighborhood pet who roamed freely on their farm (with chickens, goats, horses) on a rural dead end street. The dog was loved by all. Gentle as a lamb. Then one day he attacked a neighbor's 6 year old daughter, bit off a portion of her face. The owners were responsible and put their dog down, but no one ever predicted this behavior. It can happen to any breed. With or without a purpose of breeding. When it never harms other animals.
@Caroline NY. I think you're
BG Edg@Caroline NY. I think you're 'flinging the dew' there. Golden retrievers do not live to 14. If on the rare occasion they make it past 12 years, they can barely walk. Pick another breed to try and make your point. If in fact a Golden ever did as you stated, it must have been provoked, kicked or bitten first. Its the most gentle and quiet breed on the planet unless you found some sort of mutt that looked like a golden that had some 'pit bull' heritage. The only goldens that bark are turned into barkers by irresponsible owners.
I have a friend who has a
George west TisburyI have a friend who has a golden who hates other dogs and they had to install a stockade fence so she would stop going berserk over dogs walking in front of the house. I also recall some goldens in west tisbury who got into trouble a couple of years ago and the owners also had to fence them in.
I don't believe these pit
JaneRawlings BaltimoreI don't believe these pit bull owners (yes, AmStaff and bulldog are pit bulls by another name) that there was no blood on their killer dog. They won't be the first who wash blood off when their pit bull comes home, hoping to hide the fact that it attacked. They don't care whether it was a child or a dog or a cat or a horse, either.
Here's just one example of the typical pit bull owner doing this:
http://blog.dogsbite.org/2013/04/2013-dog-bite-fatality-callaway-boy-sa…
excuse me Jane, do you
To Jane mvexcuse me Jane, do you struggle with reading comprehension? "The Mahoneys confirmed that their dog Mugsy, a three-year-old neutered American Staffordshire-bulldog cross, had been on the loose Saturday and had returned home bloody and muddy and covered with scratches"
Yes,they did admit the dog
Ann EdgatownYes,they did admit the dog came home covered in blood,dirt, and scratches..but did they call the Police to see if thee were any attacks? It was all over the island news and internet sites within 2 hrs.,but yet it took a tip to lead them to the dog the next day..that is sad
No, you seem to struggle with
JaneRawlings BaltimoreNo, you seem to struggle with reading comprehension. Pit bull owners lie all the time. You obviously didn't bother to look at the link I posted -- blame it on the local cougar when THEIR OWN PIT BULL ATTACKS THEM.
At the moment, two different pit bull owners are / have been being prosecuted because their pit bull type dogs came home covered in blood -- and their reaction was to wash off the blood and claim that there never was any. One of these pit bull fanatics is facing charges not only of manslaughter, but also of FELONY evidence tampering. The other one is serving a sentence for the same charges.
You can never trust a pit bull owner / pit bull fan to tell the truth about anything. I'd post about six thousand links here to illustrate this, but you've already shown you don't bother. Only your own delusions count in your world.
I think the viciousness of
Martha MageeI think the viciousness of some humans here far exceeeds the unfortunate actions of one dog with an unchecked predator instinct.
Check your home owners
Ken EdgartownCheck your home owners insurance. If you have mpiua like most of us, pit bulls are written out. Other breeds are covered, just not pit bulls. There must be a reason for this.
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