A therapeutic miniature horse is now the one requiring care after its ear was bitten off in an attack by two pit bulls south of Nanaimo on Monday.

The two-and-a-half-foot-tall horse, named HaliBerry, was first attacked by the dogs in its stall and the attack continued out into the field, said the horse鈥檚 owner, Eileen Stevens, of Golden Maples Farm in Cassidy.

鈥淢y horse is very badly injured, she鈥檚 missing her left ear, but she鈥檚 a fighter 鈥� and she鈥檚 going to recover,鈥� Stevens said.

The dogs broke through her stucco wire fence 鈥渓ike it was spaghetti鈥� and Stevens spotted them outside her door when she went to take her horse for its morning walk. After she realized what was happening, she phoned her brother who came right away, and the two of them tried to fight off the dogs with a walker and a broom.

鈥淚t was so frightening because it was all happening so fast, but it seemed like so long鈥︹�� Stevens said. 鈥淚 just wish I could stop the pictures in my head. To see her running and then when that dog got her ear, part of me says, thank God I don鈥檛 have full hearing because I couldn鈥檛 hear her scream. Because horses will scream.鈥�

Stevens said she decided to talk to the media about the incident both to correct some misinformation that was spreading, and also to let people know about the dog owner鈥檚 response. She said he surrendered his animals to be euthanized and is paying all her veterinary bills.

鈥淚t鈥檚 such an unfortunate accident because this man has lost his two dogs now and they鈥檙e family pets鈥︹�� Stevens said. 鈥淚 know his pain, because I鈥檝e had to put animals down before and I鈥檓 just hoping and praying that we don鈥檛 have to do that with HaliBerry, that she鈥檚 going to pull out of this.鈥�

The horse is going to survive, said Colin Scruton, equine surgeon at Equerry Equine Surgery and Sports Medicine hospital in Nanaimo. He said if the bites near a joint had become infected, or if the bites had punctured the abdomen, 鈥渢hen yes, it could have been worse, but no, it wasn鈥檛 worse.鈥�

Scruton said although treating a horse for dog bites isn鈥檛 common, it comes down to wound management. Cleaning up the wounds took a long time and the horse was given antibiotics.

鈥淥ur next challenge is to allow the wounds time to heal and hopefully where there once was an ear canal, for the wound to [heal] so at some point we can skin graft it in the future,鈥� he said.

Scruton said psychologically, the horse seems normal.

鈥淪he was in a lot of pain and suffering and shock for the first day, but she鈥檚 very interactive [now],鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have photos of her playing with my son yesterday.鈥�

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Stevens said she once owned a pit bull 鈥渁nd it was a lovely animal鈥� and said she thinks Monday鈥檚 attack was just a case of dogs getting together and having a 鈥減ack mentality.鈥�

Stevens said a farrier, who is a friend of hers, has agreed to look after HaliBerry for the time being. Stevens said she might start up a GoFundMe to build a new shed because she鈥檚 concerned the existing stall will no longer seem like a safe space for her horse. The therapeutic care HaliBerry has provided will be on hold. Stevens said some people like to brush and talk to the horse, or a two-year-old might just sit on the horse and giggle.

鈥淪he鈥檚 that gentle. Everybody falls in love with her,鈥� Stevens said.

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