The death of a Newfoundland pony last week was tragic and completely preventable, says a West Coast breeder who is still grieving the loss.
The 11-year-old mare had apparently been fed too much by people passing by in the pasture where Dwyer’s little Catalina, or “The Cat” for short, was grazing with other animals.
Jess Boyd herself, a vet, says the large number of partially eaten apples around the lethargic horse last Thursday was the first sign of trouble.
Boyd says the pony’s condition quickly deteriorated from there.
She says the animal exhibited distressing behavior, including gnashing its teeth, kicking her in the stomach, violently throwing itself to the ground and rolling around in apparent pain.
Boyd believes that by the time she realized something was seriously wrong, it was too late to save the animal and she should have been stopped.
She says it’s a tough reminder for people to avoid feeding animals that aren’t yours—wild or domesticated.
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