Pit bulls kill horse; dog owner charged

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga.,None — Forsyth County Sheriff's deputies say two pit bulls got through a fence and attacked and killed a horse in its pasture and now the dogs' owner faces several charges.

Deputies say someone driving by saw the horse in trouble along Watson Road and called 911.

"I heard just barking. Dogs were going crazy, and then about 30 minutes later I saw the police going in over there," neighbor Jeanette Poss told Channel 2's Erin Coleman.

Lt. David Waters office showed Coleman graphic pictures of the horse with puncture wounds all over its body and its muscle bandaged and bloodied. He says crews worked for six hours to try to save the horse, but it lost too much blood.

"When they arrived, the white pit bull dog was still attached to the horses bottom lip. The black pit bull was attached to the neck of the animal," Waters said.

The male and female dogs are now in quarantine in the Forsyth County Animal Shelter. Their owner, Melissa Andrews, faces misdemeanor charges including one count of failure to vaccinate and two counts of animal at large.

"It could have been a child. There are so many kids that play out," Poss said. She also said this isn't the first time the dogs have gotten out.

"Unfortunately, there's no other law that considers an animal attacking another animal a felony," Waters said.

The county just passed a dangerous dog ordinance making it tougher for owners whose dogs attack. Andrews would have to have her dogs insured for $50,000 each to get them back.

"It's something that should not happen and it's something that this law was written to affect," Commissioner Jim Boff told Coleman.

Andrews is due in court next month.

WSBTV