32-year-old horse allegedly killed by dogs

Two Boulder men have been cited for unlawful ownership of dangerous dogs after their pets allegedly attacked and killed a 32-year-old horse in their neighborhood.

Boulder County Sheriff's Commander Rick Brough identified the men who own the two Labrador retrievers and one Boxer as Joshua Mantooth and Nelson Alvarez, who live together in the 2500 block of Vine Place, in Boulder.

The property where "Prissy" was killed," owned by Richard Beardlsey, is a small island pocket of unincorporated Boulder County in the 4300 block of 26th Street. It is surrounded on all sides by incorporated City of Boulder land.

Beardley's one-acre property, which includes the corral where "Prissy" spent her days, has been gradually engulfed by more contemporary residential development which has sprung up around it, over the years.

The incident occurred about 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Beardsley said.

"My wife came in frantically screaming that some dogs had the horse down," said Beardlsey. "So I came out, and by that time there was a police officer here, and he had got the dogs off the horse, but she was down."

A responding officer fired one shot, in freeing the horse from its attackers, but did not hit anything, Beardsley said.

In the animals' assault on the horse, "Prissy" suffered wounds to its body, throat and face. It was first thought that the horse might survive, but it became apparent by Monday that that was not the case.

"We were hoping she would eat, but it was clear she wasn't able," said Beardlsey, who acquired "Prissy" when she was 3, and used the animal as a pack-horse often for his hunting trips into Colorado's mountains.

"She wanted to eat, but she couldn't eat, and we didn't know why she couldn't. I came back out (on Monday) and she couldn't get up. And I knew then, that we had to put her down. I told her she could let go."

In fact, "Prissy" died before she could be euthanized, and has already been buried in Limon. Beardsley has not spoken with, or even met, the dogs' owners.

"One of 'em apparently told my wife, 'Well I'm not going to apologize, because it wouldn't do any good.' That doesn't sound very remorseful to me."

He also said the same dogs had viciously harassed his horse on one previous occasion. He chased them away that time, by throwing rocks at them.

Beardsley is offended by some Internet chatter he has heard about suggesting that, at 32 years of age, perhaps "Prissy's" time had come. He said he has heard of horses living past the age of 40.

"There wasn't anything wrong with her," he said. "I mean she was just beyond prime, but she was healthy, she ate good, she drank well, she could trot over to feed.

"She was capable of still walking and carrying a small load," Beardsley added. "She was happy, being out on the trail. That's what we did, her whole life. We took some four or five-mile round trips together, last fall and did fine. There wasn't anything wrong with the horse."

Kim Friel is a neighbor whose property backs up to the property of the rented home where the dogs' owners live.

"They bark a lot and they physically have butted up against the fence with their bodies, said Friel. "I've seen the fence, literally, shake.

"I've e-mailed the humane society wanting to know what the status of the dogs is going to be," she added. "Are they going to be releasing them back to the property and their owners? I'm concerned. I have a 6-year old daughter, and if they can do that to a horse, I can't even imagine what they would do to a child if they were let loose."

Brough, of the Sheriff's Department, said the dogs' fate would be in the hands of the judge who determines the outcome of the case against their owners, and that the dogs would remain at the Boulder Valley Humane Society until the case is resolved.

Possession of dangerous dogs is a class-three misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in jail and a $750 fine.

Beardsley, meanwhile, is left with his memories of "Prissy," born of a mustang stallion and domesticated mare in northwest Colorado 32 years ago.

"Every morning when I come out to feed her, the front door squeaks a little bit and she whinnies... waiting for me to come feed her," he said.

"I realize, after 29 years, I don't have a morning chore, anymore."