CHINA TOWNSHIP, Mich. - A pony named Pony was euthanized Monday after being attacked by a pit bull in China Township.
Katie Tyrrell, 35, was at her Meisner Road home recovering from surgery when she heard a an unfamiliar bark outside.
On crutches after having her ACL replaced, Tyrrell asked her mom to go see what was happening in the barn.
And then she heard her mom screaming.
"The pit bull had my pony by the throat on the ground," Tyrrell said.
She said her dad ran to help and eventually the dog left the barn, sitting and panting in the shade. Tyrrell said a husky was also loose on their property.
"I had never seen them before," she said of the dogs.
Her parents guarded the barn doorway after calling 911, to ensure the dogs didn't go back in.
Tyrrell said when she made it to the barn she found her pony with lacerations and puncture wounds to the neck, legs and belly.
Stephanie Ignash, St. Clair County Sheriff Animal Control office manager, said the dogs ran back home where they were caught.
"The owners were quite upset about it of course, but they decided to surrender them for euthanasia due to the dangerous act," Ignash said.
She said the case remains under review and confirmed one dog was a pit bull and the other was a husky.
Exactly how old Pony was is unknown, as Tyrrell saved him from a feed lot heading to slaughter about a decade ago, but she estimated he was in his 20s.
Being in his senior years, and having other health issues, the veterinarian who evaluated Pony said it didn't look good.
Pony pictured after the dog attack. (Photo: Katie Tyrrell)
Tyrrell said the vet believed one of the bites may have punctured the trachea.
"He was having a really hard time breathing, he didn't look good," she said.
So the decision was to end his suffering and euthanize him.
Tyrrell said Pony was sweet and helped babysit the foals on her farm during the breeding season.
Tyrrell asks dog owners to be responsible and keep their animals contained. She said about two years ago a different pit bull entered her yard and killed her chickens.
"They just have to be more responsible, get them vaccinated and keep them enclosed somehow," Tyrrell said.
Contact Liz Shepard at (810) 989-6273 or lshepard@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @lvshepard.
Pony pictured previously on Katie Tyrrell's China Township farm. (Photo: Katie Tyrrell)
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the WZZM 13 app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@wzzm13.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter.
