Holly Twp.- Oakland County Animal Control responds to about 150-200 calls on livestock kills per year, usually chickens, sometimes sheep and goats, preyed on by dogs.
But last month was the first time, in 20 years with the division, that OCAC Administrative Supervisor Sgt. Joanie Toole ever heard of dogs bringing down a horse.
‘I’ve heard of them barking at and chasing them, but bringing a horse down? This is a first,? she said.
On Jan. 18, a trooper from the Michigan State Police Groveland team was dispatched to a home in the 4000 block of Elliott Road for a report of a horse attacked by two dogs. Upon arrival, the trooper found a horse laying in a pasture, with puncture and tear wounds to the body and head area. The animal’s tail was missing and its left rear leg was torn off, according to police reports. The number and size of paw tracks in the area indicated dogs were responsible.
The owner of the horse said she had seen two dogs, a pitbull and black lab, outside her home the previous evening showing aggressive behavior toward her dog. She brought her dog in and last saw the suspect animals outside her barn. The following morning, an off-duty Holly police officer advised her that her horse of 21 years had been attacked and was severely injured. The decision was made to euthanize the horse.
The following day, another officer provided information on another recent incident involving dogs of the same description. The animals were located and the owners indicated the dogs were missing on the night in question and when they returned home were covered in blood, but without any visible injuries after they were washed. The dogs were euthanized by Animal Control and warrants were issued against the owners for unlicensed and stray dogs. The penalty for each count is three months in jail and/or a $10-$100 fine.
‘All dogs have a prey instinct, but most don’t act on it,? said Toole. ‘Occasionally, some do.?
Toole is accustomed to hearing of dogs killing chickens in rural areas and says malamutes and Siberian huskies are notorious for such behavior. The majority of the time, livestock kills are done by packs of dogs.
Once they have made a kill, Toole says euthanasia of the dog must be considered.
‘You wouldn’t want this to happen to a child, or another dog, or a neighbor’s cat,? she said. ‘It’s bad enough that they would attack livestock. Bringing down (a horse) is scary.?
Toole says out in the country, people have more land, which can be expensive to fence in, but still, dogs need to be kept at home.
‘When your animals go out, be with them, or they should be tied out if you can’t be with them,? she said.