Mobile police now say dogs that attacked ponies were not pit bulls

Whaddya Know? A "news agency" actually publishes corrected information. Miracles will never cease. Of, course this one was picked up (so far) only by local media and blogs.

Well, here it is:

Mobile police now say dogs that attacked ponies were not pit bulls

Published: Wednesday, August 25, 2010, 4:00 PM

by David Ferrara, Press-Register

MOBILE, Ala. -- A pack of dogs that attacked two miniature ponies owned by the Mobile Police Department were multiple mixed-breeds, not pit bulls, police said this afternoon.

An officer on patrol heard yelping and found the ponies, Woggie and Little Joe, being attacked by at least six dogs at about 1:50 a.m. Tuesday morning just outside the department's barn at 1251 Virginia Street, according to police spokesman Christopher Levy.

The ponies were taken to a Highland Animal Hospital in Daphne, where they later died, according to Sgt. Eddie Carr, who heads the department's Mounted Unit.

Police caught three of the dogs, which were later euthanized, and set traps to catch the others.

The responding officer originally described the dogs as pit bulls, and police initially reported the incident as a pit bull attack.  However, a veterinarian who euthanized the dogs later said they were "very aggressive" mixed-breeds, according to Levy.

For much of the past year, aggressive dogs have killed at least eight cats kept around the stables, Carr said. Officers who work in the Mounted Unit have tried to keep the dogs away in the past.

Police believe that someone owns the dogs, and the owners could face criminal charges. Investigators were looking into tips this afternoon, Levy said.

Many in the department's Mounted Unit had become attached to the ponies, which stood no taller than 28 inches, Carr said.

"We considered them officers, because they became our friends," Carr said.

Little Joe, a 2-year-old named for Deputy Chief Joe Kennedy, and Woggie, a 3-year-old, were purchased for a minimal price about two years ago, Carr said. They ate only about 50-pounds of feed a month, and cost little to maintain.

Police had plans to use the ponies to help pull children with disabilities through a Mardi Gras parade next year, Carr added.

"We took good care of them," Carr said. "They were here for the public -- the kids especially. We were proud of these two fellas."