A HORSE was viciously attacked and left bleeding in a field in Monk Bretton after apparently being attacked by a dog.
Diesel, a 12-year-old Shetland pony, was discovered with serious injuries to his face on Sunday when his owners, the Mansell family, went to their field on Littleworth Lane, Lundwood to check on him.
They discovered him drenched in blood with wounds believed to have been caused by a dog.
A dog coat and the end of a lead were found in the field, which borders onto a popular dog-walking path.
Janet Mansell said: “Me, my daughter Zoe and my grandson went to the field and found him covered in blood, all his nose up and great big gouges in it.
“We want whoever has seen this happen to know we are looking for them. We have had to have the vet out daily since it happened and we have a big vet bill. His gashes were so bad they couldn’t stitch them up.”
Diesel shares his field with fellow Shetland pony Levi, who was unharmed in the attack.
“The walkers don’t go through the field but they do go down the side and along the path. Whether the dog has gone under the fence or what we don’t know, but there are places where one could get in.
“It was horrible to see him like that and really disturbing to think somebody has just left him in that state.”
Janet said the vet estimated from Diesel’s swelling he had been injured for at least five hours before his owners found him at 1pm.
“This isn’t the first time. Levi was attacked a few years ago by a dog and we didn’t find out who it was. But not as bad or as vicious as this.
“We have been stopping people walking their dogs and asking them if they have seen anything, and we called the vets to see if any dogs had been brought in with injuries from being kicked by a horse but they wouldn’t tell us.
“Most people around here know who we are and that the horses belong to us.”
A South Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “Officers responded to a report received on November 26 of a Shetland Pony being found injured in its field in Littleworth Lane at Monk Bretton, Barnsley.
“The horse had received severe injuries to its face, which are consistent with a dog attack and anyone with information is asked to call 101 and quote incident number 851 of November 26.”
