Tiny nick proves fatal for miniature pony
One of the smallest of the 41 stab wounds suffered by a small pony in a ‘‘sickening’’ attack proved fatal.
Ten-year-old Star died in the early hours yesterday from injuries to the neck and back, despite a five-hour operation stitching his wounds.
A dog walker discovered the pony bleeding on the road near Waitati, just north of Dunedin, on Monday.
Otago Equine Hospital veterinarian Peter Gillespie, who cared for Star, said during his 39 years as a vet he had never come across animal cruelty as serious as this attack. It was ‘‘quite sickening’’, he said. Some of the cuts were 100mm deep.
‘‘We see a lot of injured horses and a lot of sick horses but nothing like [this] where there’s intentional harm inflicted by a human.’’
He confirmed one of the stab wounds had penetrated Star’s abdominal wall and ‘‘nicked’’ his bowel, which ended up killing him. ‘‘It turns out one of the smallest stab incisions, which was only about a centimetre and a half long and only required a couple of stitches was the one that penetrated.’’
Gillespie had reflected on what kind of trauma the pony had gone through, and questioned the attacker’s mindset.
‘‘We’re talking about an animal that is universally loved . . . everyone admires horses – they’ve been a part of our human existence forever.’’
A Otago Equine Hospital spokeswoman said staff worked tirelessly through the night to try to save Star’s life.
‘‘One [stab wound] had gone a little bit deeper and pierced an organ. It’s exceptionally sad, but everything was done that could be done. He was exceptionally stoic, he impressed every one of our staff.’’
She hoped the person who carried out the brutal attack was found soon, she said.
‘‘Sadly, it’s someone who is very disturbed.’’
Star’s owner Mandy Mayhem-Bullock was ‘‘exceptionally devastated’’ and pulled her children out of school yesterday morning to tell them the news, the spokeswoman said. Mayhem-Bullock, who is a Waikouaiti Coast Community Board member, declined to comment, but told the Otago Daily Times she was ‘‘so angry’’.
‘‘A f ..... lunatic with a knife is in our community and killed a little baby horse.’’
A fundraising page set up for the pony has closed. The donations would be used to pay the outstanding vet bill for Star’s treatment, the page said. About $8500 was raised.
Senior Constable Lesley Eason said police were investigating. They had spoken to the owner and visited the scene.
SPCA chief executive Andrea Midgen said she was ‘‘absolutely horrified’’ to hear Star had died. ‘‘It is inconceivable that someone would commit such a terrible act of violence on an innocent and defenceless animal.’’