Smith Valley, Nevada

From the Reno Gazette Journal of November 7, 2007

Dog attack in SV results in death of horse

A horse was put down in Smith Valley as a result of injuries suffered from an attack by neighbors' pitbulls and the horse owner would like to inform residents of this situation and perhaps save an animal's life.

Lisa Adams of Smith Valley said three or four pit bulls attacked her quarter horse gelding "Zack" Sunday morning and inflicted wounds so severe the equine had to be euthanized.

Adams, who helplessly watched her horse, a barrel racer, being attacked by the dogs of neighbors who had just moved into a rental next door, said it will take a while to overcome this attack. She was struck in the head by her horse as they tried to tend to it after the attack and was briefly hospitalized, while a neighbor, kicked by the horse trying to chase off the dogs, also received medical treatment.
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The incident began about 7:30 a.m. Sunday in the neighborhood between Day Lane and Artist View in Smith Valley as Mrs. Adams got up and saw a neighbor who had apparently moved in the day before let four dogs out of a small fenced kennel. She said she couldn't tell what kind of dogs they were but admitted she was a little concerned seeing a neighbor with dogs. Her husband Steve, a LCSO deputy, had already left for work.

Lisa Adams then walked to the other side of the house and noticed her 26-year-old mare, who can barely move, walking in circles, dust kicked up.

She ran outside and heard noise in the other horse's stall (a third horse the Adams own is on the other side of their five-acre property). She saw an apparent owner crouched down with one dog to the side and three pit bulls in the stall.

So she ran inside to call 911, Mrs. Adams related, and apparently was screaming for help so the three neighbors arrived. Two tried to get the dogs away from the horse, but one was kicked and injured in the leg, so the other and Mrs. Adams dragged her out of the stall.

"Thank God the dogs didn't turn on her," she said.

Eventually, Adams went into her home to get a pistol and shot one of the dogs, although it survived, as Bolzle said it was a superficial wound. However, Adams said the other dogs then left her horse alone.

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