A much-loved racehorse was attacked in his paddock and left with gashes and open wounds after two dogs ripped into the horse’s face and flesh.
‘On Thursday someones dogs dragged [the horse] to the ground and tore at his flesh to the point of bone being visible,’ the horse’s owner Jessica Ohearn said on a GoFundMe page created to raise money for the horse’s recovery.
The retired racehorse named George was left in such a state of shock from the attack that vets were unable to continue treating his horrific injuries, Yahoo7 reported.
‘His wounds are drastic and included six hours of vet work,’ Ms Ohearn said.
George a much-loved racehorse from the Hunter Region in New South Wales (pictured) was attacked in his paddock and left with gashes and open wounds after he was attacked by dogs
‘Then we were at the point where George couldn’t have any more work due to shock.
‘He was shaking and it was unsafe to continue.’
‘They actually had the horse on the ground, ripping his face; there was major damage. It’s absolutely horrific. He lost a lot of blood,’ Jodie Lynch, daughter of the owner of George, told the Maitland Mercury.
‘The vet bill will be in the thousands of dollars, and that’s not for mum and dad to have to pay. They’re pensioners, and George is their baby,’ Ms Lynch said.
Some of the horrific injuries George endured included deep wounds to his belly, legs, a gaping wound to his side, and bone exposed on his face.
‘They actually had the horse on the ground, ripping his face; there was major damage. It’s absolutely horrific. He lost a lot of blood,’ Jodie Lynch, daughter of the owner of George, told the Maitland Mercury
The 21-year-old retired racehorse had been on a paddock at Ms Ohearn’s aunt’s property in Kurri Kurri in the Hunter Region north east of Sydney.
Ms Ohearn’s uncle heard a commotion in the paddock when he went to feed George on Thursday morning and saw the neighbour’s children chasing two dogs away from the horse.
The vet has treated George and stitched up his wounds but more treatment and surgury is needed.
‘There will be more vet work to be continued on with more sutures around the face,’ Ms Ohearn said.
Neighbours were able to catch the dogs, believed to be Staffy crosses, and lock them up until rangers could impound them.
‘The dog owners have said they will pay but we will have to wait and see,’ a recent update on a GoFundMe page raising money for George’s recovery has said.
‘[George] is pretty swollen at the moment but on the positive he is eating and drinking.
‘As for the dogs being put down. We are unsure at the moment’.
George is a well known member of the community and is often visited in his paddock by locals.
Cessnock City Council have seized the dogs.