Mutilated pony, Carmarthenshire, Wales. 5th January 2012

[Lee]

I just found out today that a Mutilated pony was discovered in Carmarthenshire, Wales on the 5th January. Here's the report from 'Horseandhounds. Pay attention to the details:

"Mutilated pony found in a field in Carmarthenshire

A dead pony with slash wounds to its body has been found in Carmarthenshire.
Owner Linda Vickerage found 7-year-old Barney dead in his field in Ciffig, in the Whitland area, on Thursday (5 January) when she went to feed him.
Barney had reportedly had his eyes removed, mouth slit, ear cut and body slashed open in the attack.

“I grabbed my torch and went to look around,” Linda told local press. “I could see Barney on the ground so I rushed over to him. There was blood everywhere, pouring from his eyes and his abdomen. It was such a shock, it was unbelievable.

“The police arrived but it was dark, so I went back up there on Friday morning and it was just horrific. They had taken his eyes out and chopped part of his ear off and cut him all along his body and removed his internal organs.”

Linda’s other horse Fella was unhurt.
Dyfed Powys Police confirmed to H&H they had attended the scene and that “enquiries were continuing”. A spokesman added they were waiting for more information from the vet.

The RSPCA is investigating. Anyone with information should call 0300 1234 999"

Read more: http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/311039.html

[Lee]

It seems that the Police have already concluded their investigation, yet the animal owners are not happy at all:

Pony death 'due to natural causes' in Carmarthenshire
11 January 2012

A horse whose owners offered a £3,0000 reward believing it had been mutilated died of natural causes, say police.
Seven-year-old Barney was found dead last Thursday evening at a small holding in Cifflig, Whitland.

His owners say they still believe he was attacked and his death may be linked to some sort of ritual due to cuts to his eyes and stomach.
But Dyfed-Powys Police said they were no longer treating the death as a criminal matter.

Barney's body was found by his owner Linda Vickerage when she went to feed him and another pony he shared the field with.
Her daughter Nicola Mann said his eyes appeared to have been cut to blind him and there was a long gash along his stomach.

"My mother is absolutely devastated. She has lost her little friend and animals are everything to her.
"Barney was a pet and he was so well loved. He was a rescue pony so had had a hard enough life anyway."

'Ritual' theory

Police are investigating an attack on another horse in Cornwall at the weekend.
One of the lines of inquiry police are following in Cornwall is that it was linked with a Satanic ritual.

Ms Mann said she suspected a similar motive behind Barney's death.
Her family offered the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever was responsible.

Dyfed-Powys Police said officers were called to a field on 5 January.
"The horse had sustained several injuries including to the abdomen and the eyes," it said, adding that initial tests had proved inconclusive.

But the force now says it has concluded that the horse died from natural causes.
"There will be no criminal investigation into this matter," it added"

Source - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-16511966


Comments from the daughter of the animal owner:

"I'm Nicola, the daughter of Linda. Thanks for the lovely supportive comments. As you can imagine this is devastating. Barney was a rescue pony and the sweetest gentile little soul. I'm reading the news reports that the "police are doing an investigation"..well that's just not true...they took two hours to respond to the call, didn't even bother to go and look at his body on Thursday when it was reported and only did on Friday when my brother and I insisted that they do so. Since then the police have never once asked any questions or showed any interest in the mutilation of Barney. A two foot long by one foot deep cut deep cut has been made along Barney's stomach and his genitals (he was a stallion) have been removed, his eyes, ears and mouth were cut. I asked the police who attended on Friday why they haven't treated this as suspicious when anyone can see with an untrained eye that the wound to his abdomen was foul play. Her comment....."it was dark when we saw the pony's body" It was evident that boot prints and other evidence were around the scene. Now another poor stallion in Cornwall has been taken under the same fate. Can anyone help us get the word out about how serious this needs to be treated? We really need help to stop this happening again and find the people who did this to these two stallions. ...."
Source - http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/311039.html