Letter to the Editor, Recent Dog Attack that Kills Horse

The heart break of losing your equine friend is hard enough emotionally for most horse owners but to have a . It is a tragic loss for the horse owner. To walk out to your pasture and feed your horse everyday is peaceful and rewarding. There is a special bond between horses and humans. Horses have done more for civilization that any animal. They have fought wars, moved our ancestors, across our great country, make our children smile, take us on trail rides through forests and mountains, help disabled people move their muscles like a human pelvis. We use them in sport, work and hobbies. In the World Olympic Games, horse sport is the only competition where men and woman, of any age, compete equally. A person in a wheelchair gets on the back of a horse, that person becomes equal to any rider in a saddle. They are equalizers. Horses are our beloved pets.

This is a tragic loss for the dogs. These two dogs are now locked up in with an unknown fate awaiting them. Should they be euthanized or should they be returned to the owner? Pit Bulls are already on the Most Hated Dog List because of incidents like this. These dogs are bred to be have the gameness of a terrier and the strength of a bulldog. Anyone who chooses to own a Pit Bull dog needs to educate themselves about these dogs and take time teaching the dog the acceptable and not acceptable behavior. I can not blame the dogs for doing this heinous act, though it should not have happened. If these dogs are allowed to return to the owner, they will not have a man's best friend quality of life locked behind a kennel that will have to imprison them.

This is a tragic loss for the neighborhood where these dogs live. They will be forever branded as killers. The dogs owner will have to live with the fact her dogs were out of control. Neighbors will be on guard when they let their pets out to play. Parents will keep their children closer to their homes. Neighbors will always have this fear in their heads, and with good reason and Pit Bulls will stay on the most Hated Dog List.    

I have a . Beside horses, I have many other farm animals that have free roaming rights on the farm. I had a female Pit Bull living here at the farm for 12 years. She was an adult stray when she was found. Though I don't know her history, she was scared from what looked like fights and her vocal cords were cut. A police officer told me it is not uncommon for vocal cords of these dogs to be cut so no one would hear the dogs screaming during fights. With the odds against her, just being a Pit Bull, she never hurt any animal here, from chicken to goats to horses, she knew she is was not acceptable behavior. It is easy to over react during a tragedy like this but it isn't fair to blame all Pit Bulls.

Cheryl Flanagan
Save the Horses.org
Horse Rescue - Human Rescue