Miniature horse severely injured after being attacked by 2 dogs in BC

A miniature horse named Hali Berry is making a recovery after being attacked by two dogs near Nanaimo.

Eileen Stevens says the horse, which is 76 centimetres tall, faces a long road to recovery after being mauled in its corral on Monday.

According to Stevens, two pit bulls broke out of a fenced neighbouring property. The horse had one of its ears severed and suffered other deep cuts and gashes during the attack.

Hali Berry is a registered therapy horse, and her job is to bring joy to others. Stevens says that the horse is still a bright personality after her injuries.

“She’s so bright. She’s got her voice back. She’s talking to anyone who comes around at the vet’s hospital,” said Stevens in a phone interview from her hobby farm. “She’s kind of her own personality, you know?”

Stevens was at home when the attack happened. She says her own voice is just returning after all the screaming she did while trying to save the horse.

She explained that she is recovering from heart surgery and has other health issues, and was forced to fight the dogs off using her walker.

As for the two pit bulls, Stevens says that the owner immediately surrendered them to be euthanized and offered to pay for Hali Berry’s vet bills.

“He’s a very, very kind man, he’s a good man,” she said, adding that the owner is grieving the loss of his dogs and she wants to “make it right” and prevent anyone from blaming him for the attack.

Hali Berry will need surgeries and skin grafts to create a new ear canal because the ear can’t be reattached.

Despite the incident, Stevens expects that the horse will be able to return to her duties as a registered therapeutic horse soon.

-With files from The Canadian Press