Dogs in horse attack are returned to owner

Dogs that might have been involved in an attack that killed a quarter horse last month in Wai­alua have been returned to their owner, pending a police investigation, a Hawaiian Humane Society official said.

The Humane Society captured seven dogs the night of the attack and picked up two more that went back to the scene the next day, said Keoni Vaughn, director of operations for the Humane Society.

He said the Humane Society inspected the owner’s property before returning the dogs to ensure their safety and ordered the owner to keep the dogs on the property. The dogs were returned a few days after the attack. Humane Society employees continue to make unannounced visits to check on the dogs.

Vaughn said the Humane Society is helping police, who are conducting a criminal investigation.

A police spokeswoman said Friday there have been no arrests or developments.

Meanwhile, an examination of the horse found it may have died from the stress of the attack.

"The proximate cause of death was attack by dogs," wrote Dr. Jenee Odani, a state veterinarian who examined the horse. "The mechanism of death was not determined. The horse did not have any significant underlying disease," Odani said in an email.

Odani was asked to help after an initial exam to find the cause of death was unsuccessful. State experts took samples from the major organs and examined them for clues.

According to Odani’s report, the 2-year-old filly had numerous wounds on her front legs and head.

The horse apparently didn’t bleed to death, and a single wound or lesion didn’t cause its death, the report said.

But "pain, anxiety, and physiologic stress, compounded by moderate blood loss" could have resulted in shock and sudden death, the report said.

Dr. Manuel Himenes, a private veterinarian who also examined the horse, said it suffered a "horrifying experience" as it was attacked in a small pen about 500 square feet in size.

"A horse’s natural defense is flight," Hime­nes said. "The only way she could have gotten away from them is if she had distance to run."

A witness reported the attack at about 9:20 p.m. April 23. Police said the witness heard barking and saw the dogs attacking a horse at Dillingham Ranch. When officers arrived, several dogs were still there and were picked up by the Hawaiian Humane Society.