The Attacks

Patricia had her first inkling that there was a problem at Apache Pride in 2013.  After short absences from the ranch, she would return to find animals loose or missing. At first, she thought that they somehow managed to get loose, or someone at the ranch accidentally left a gate or fence open.  The reality of what was happening, however, became clear sometime last year.  

Patricia knew her idyllic lifestyle was in jeopardy when one winter day she heard the sound of gunshot close to her home. She looked out her kitchen window just in time to see a young white puppy tumble down a small hill leaving a trail of blood in the snow.  She rushed outside to the sounds of the mother’s howls to find a lifeless puppy; a bullet wound piercing her little body.  She called the sheriff and an officer came to the ranch and took a report. To date, no one has been charged with the crime. 

The carnage didn’t stop with the white puppy. When a Paint mare didn’t come back to the barn, Patricia whet to the field to investigate.  She found her mare with a devastating injury to her hoof.  Patricia took the mare to the University of Wisconsin Veterinary School for treatment where veterinarians removed a 30 caliber bullet from the horse’s hoof.  

Sadly the injury was too severe, and Patricia followed the recommendations of the veterinarians and had the mare euthanized.  The evidence, including veterinary records and the bullet recovered from the mare’s hoof, was sent to the County Sheriff’s department. It appeared as if someone stood directly next to the mare and shot into her hoof.  This felony crime on Apache Pride also remains unsolved but left Patricia with a growing realization that someone was targeting her and Apache Pride.  

Patricia increased her vigilance and when she discovered a group of local people dressed in hunting gear carrying weapons one her property, she told them to leave. Among those, in the group was a neighbor and his friend, a local law enforcement officer.  

One of them was carrying a 30 gauge rifle.  Patricia knew one of the people in the hunting party had connections to individuals involved in animal control and wondered if their presence on the property had any connection to a rash of recent anonymous complaints concerning her animals.  

Local authorities were receiving information that Patricia was neglecting her animals. She opened her ranch to inspections by authority. None of the inspections conducted as a result of complaints uncovered evidence of neglect.  All of her animals were healthy and received proper care.  Her local veterinary attested to the medical care her animals received from him.  

As the citations for permitting animals to run at large began to mount, Patricia and her family started to find destroyed and damaged fencing around on the property.  

Gates that were closed and latched when Patricia would leave the ranch were open when she returned.  Locks on paddock gates were cut and cables attached to the collars of some of the adult dogs were severed with bolt cutters.  

One of her adult male hybrids was captured on a neighbor’s farm with a brand new cable attached to his collar that was cut clean.  The other half of the cable, still attached to the tie at the kennel, also showed a clean cut that could only have been made with a cutting tool.  

Police discovered an old horse, in his late twenties, outside the pasture with his head hanging over the fence.  In the police report obtained during discovery stated that the officer saw the horse gazing at the other horses still in the pasture. The pasture fencing and gates were secure. The only way that old horse could have gotten out was if someone led it out of the pasture and to the location where the saw him.  He was too old to jump the fence, and it was unlikely he would have voluntarily left the safety of his herd. 

Patricia received over 15 citations in the months between April 2013 and July 2015 including ones for the horse trying to get back to his herd and the dog with the severed and attached cable. 

Patricia would find the doors to outbuildings damaged and forced open and equipment stolen.  She returned after a trip to town to find her corral open, the lock on gate latch obviously cut with a bolt cutter.  

The horses were gone and tire tracks left in the dirt in the corral evidenced the terror her horses faced by people chasing them in vehicles.  Was it a group of teenagers out doing mischief?  Was it a neighbor who didn’t like her culture or animals? 

Was it more sinister and involved someone in authority? Was it related to her demand those hunters leave her property? It is hard to say, but she felt helpless to stop the onslaught. 

After Patricia hired an attorney and successfully challenged the most recent of her citations, things quieted down for a short time. 

That ended last month with the discovery of a dead puppy with a severe injury to its head. 

It appeared someone hit it in the head with a hammer.  A pregnant mare was found in the pasture with a twenty-two shot through the chest. The mare and foal survived but Just a few days ago, another puppy was found dead with a bashed in skull.  

Whoever was killing her dogs and horses wanted to leave a message.  Who could do such a thing?  There is a dangerous person on the loose in Forest County, Wisconsin; someone who is depraved enough to bash a defenseless puppy in the head and shoot a pregnant mare.