Pit bull, wild dogs attack livestock in the county
Vicious dogs terrorized rural Marion County this past week.
At 5 p.m. June 9, a two-year-old female pit bull attacked a horse as it was being ridden on 110th Road, Peabody.
Emily Timmermeyer, 1356 110th Road, and friends Kelly Penner and Bailey Penner, were riding horses when a dog came from a yard on 110th Road and attacked one of the horses.
According to a report by Marion County Sheriff Deputy Duane McCarty, the dog continued to attack the horse in spite of attempts by the horse and rider to fend off the dog.
The dog bit and severely scratched the horse, and the horse required attention from a veterinarian. When Deputy McCarty contacted the owner of the dog, he was told that the owner and the dog were moving from the property.
In a separate incident, a pack of wild dogs attacked and killed six head of cattle on Nighthawk Road, Tampa.
Michael Jay, 1167 Goldenrod Road, reported Friday to the sheriff's department that he had shot two dogs, killing one, in a pack of six that attacked cattle behind his residence. The cattle were owned by Jay's father-in-law, Bradley Backhus, 3073 Nighthawk.
The loss of the cattle are reported to be valued at $3,000. A calf was injured by the dogs and was treated by a veterinarian.
A witness reported that the dogs had the cattle cornered in a fenced area and attacked the cattle.
Both incidents remain under investigation.