OC Animal Care locates owner of dog that attacked horses, rider in O'Neill park

CALIFORNIA -- Investigators with Orange County’s animal care agency say they have located a person believed to be the owner of a dog that attacked three horses and a rider in O’Neill Regional Park last month.

OC Animal Care had been seeking the identity of the dog’s owner since the March 27 attack. The name of the owner and the dog’s whereabouts won’t be made public until an investigation is complete, said Jennifer Hawkins, the agency’s chief veterinarian and interim director.

“We are grateful to the local communities that responded to our pleas for information,” Hawkins said. “This information has led us to a person we believe to be the dog owner.”

 

Officials say the owner was identified from a picture taken by Helga Thordarson, after her rare Icelandic horse Tyr was among three horses and a rider attacked during an outing on Live Oak Trail at the Trabuco Canyon wilderness park.

Thordarson posted the picture on her Facebook timeline following the attack as a heads-up for her friends and neighbors who ride at O’Neill.

The photo has more than 1 million views after it was shared from her timeline by a fellow Facebook user.

“The story and photo obviously struck some kind of chord,” she said. “We continue to receive messages of support, as well as lots of unsolicited assistance in the search for this dog owner.”

“Social media was unequivocally helpful and – while I was taken by surprise and astonished at the magnitude and passion of the public response - we are immensely grateful for all the help we have received,” Thordarson added.

Tyr escaped the dog – described as an off-leash white and brown-boxer-mix – but the dog chased the 15-year-old gelding to the bottom of the trail.

Thordarson followed and caught up with her horse. Once reunited, four women hiking with the suspected dog came toward her. She asked for the owner’s contact information; when a woman refused to provide it, she snapped a picture of the group.

The attack left two of the three horses wounded and put rider Sandie Weaver of San Juan Capistrano in the hospital.

  

 

Weaver is on the mend but Oska, her 22-year-old mare is looking at a lengthier recovery. She sustained deep tissue damage which in some cases are life threatening said Paul Wan, a equine veterinarian at Equine Veterinary Specialists in Norco. He is treating the horse.

“There are vital structures on horses legs that can be damaged,” he said. “Sometimes we have to put those horses down because they become lame.”

Thordarson has been back on the same trail with Tyr. She encountered several dogs but the horse hasn’t shown any trauma following the attack.

“He’s been well-adjusted since then,” Thordarson said. “That’s not something one would expect given the severity of the attack.”

Thordarson said she noticed an improvement in dogs being on leashes in areas of the park where they’re allowed. She’s also noticed better cooperation among equestrians, hikers and bikers.

(OC Register - April 27, 2015)

Earlier:

• Woman hurt, several horses bitten after dog attack in Trabuco Canyon

Hendersonville horse riding school investigated for animal cruelty

TENNESSEE -- A Hendersonville horse riding school is being investigated for animal cruelty after a video surfaced that appears to show a trainer whipping a horse.

The Sumner County’s sheriff confirmed to News 2 a complaint was filed Tuesday against the Cumberland Riding Academy (CRA) and that they are investigating.

 

The person who took the video said it was excessive and they believed it crossed the line.

On its website, the school states it is a full-service equestrian facility “offering full care horse boarding, riding lessons, horse training, horse show services and horse sales.”

After the allegations surfaced, the school’s owner, Daniela Romo-Leroux, released a statement saying, “The safety of CRA’s students and horses is of utmost importance to our organization, and abuse of our animals is not tolerated. CRA has been in operation since 2007 and has trained hundreds of Middle Tennessee equestrians. This is the first time allegations of abuse have been levied against CRA or a member of our staff. We are taking this matter very seriously.”

  

Romo-Leroux added they are conducting an internal investigation about the complaint and the school plans to fully cooperate in the investigation.

“It would be premature to comment further until that investigation is complete,” she said.

News 2 showed the video to Stephanie Solloman, the equine manager for Horse Haven of Tennessee.
The Knoxville-based horse rescue organization works strictly with horses that are neglected and abused. They also provide support to law enforcement across the state.

Solloman herself has more than 20 years of horse training experience.

“I think it was probably a lack of knowledge,” she said. “Usually where knowledge ends is where frustration begins.”

She told News 2 the error was with how the trainer was leading the animal.

VIDEO OF THE ABUSE:



“To me, it looked like a horse that didn’t know how to lunge,” Solloman said. “She would like to lunge the horse, but she really didn’t understand how to get that process started.”

During the video, Solloman said there are times when it does appear to be possibly abusive to the horse.

“I think it deteriorated she got really frustrated and ended up hitting him the face,” she said. “At the same time she was not allowing him to move away which borders on abuse.”

News 2 continues to gather information about the allegations and ongoing investigation.

(WKRN - April 21, 2015)

Woman hurt, several horses bitten after dog attack in Trabuco Canyon

UPDATE: The owner of the vicious dog has been tracked down: "OC Animal Care locates owner of dog that attacked horses, rider in O'Neill park"

CALIFORNIA -- A dog believed to be a boxer mix attacked three Icelandic horses and their riders on a trail Friday in O'Neill Regional Park in Trabuco Canyon, officials say.

One of the riders was thrown off her horse during the attack and was taken to a local hospital, according to an official with the O'Neill Regional Park Rangers. Two of the three horses suffered bite marks.

Helga Thordarson, of Trabuco Canyon, who was one of the riders, posted about the attack on Facebook and is asking for help identifying the dog's owner.

 

Thordarson told the Register that the attack occurred at about noon on Friday. She and her friends were coming down from a trail peak when an off-leash dog ran past them.

She said the dog, which she estimates weighed 95 pounds, then turned around and bit her friend's horse on the neck and legs.

"The attack was completely unprovoked," said Thordarson.

Thordarson said she and her friends tried to beat the dog off the horses with riding crops to no avail.

The dog continued to attack the horses for three to five minutes and her horse, Tyr, was bitten multiple times, she said.

One picture of Tyr's neck she posted shows multiple bite wounds. She said her friend was thrown off her horse.

 

The attack stopped after Tyr fought back.

After the attack, Thordarson approached the dog's owner and said she was given contact information but has not been able to reach the woman. Thordarson also submitted a report to the O'Neill park rangers.

Thordarson posted a picture of a group of women with a dog on her Facebook. She is asking anyone who may know the women to contact the rangers.

"The reason why I posted their picture is because my vet and Animal Control officials said any time there is a bite attack, the animal needs to be quarantined and tested for rabies," Thordarson said.

Thordarson said her horse is on strong antibiotics. Another horse has a jagged cut on its leg.

  

Her friend, she said, is "black and blue" but otherwise okay after being thrown off the horse.

"I'm just glad nothing tragic happened," she said. "It could have been much worse. We were on a ledge. These are original Viking horses. They didn't panic and defended us."

O'Neill Regional Park is situated in Trabuco and Live Oak Canyons. The park is a popular place to hike, camp and picnic.

(OCRegister - March 28, 2015)