A disturbing story out of a rural Idaho towna Rupert family is seeking justice for their beloved pet, after he was found, brutally attacked.
The Minidoka Sheriffs Office is investigating. The story is hard to hear, and a warning to sensitive viewers that some of the details and images are graphic.
In the small, tight knit community of Rupert, Idaho, a Shetland pony named Patches grazed on a well-known corner lot. He enjoyed treats from neighbor kids who stopped to visit him. He was known as the neighborhood pony, and to the Lopez family he was even morehe was family.
But Sunday morning, the Lopez family made a horrible discovery. They found their beloved Patches, barely able to stand. He had been brutally beaten overnightmutilated. His rope had been cut, and tied to the back of a vehicle. His attackers had dragged Patches, on asphalt, for over a mile.
The attackers cut off part of Patches groin, and his eyes were swollen shut, due to his head being smashed with an object. "He was absolutely mutilated, badly beaten, drug, and skin off of him. Open wounds on his knees and a puncture wound above his right flank, said a neighbor.
On Sunday, Patches was put down because of his injuries, but his family says what hurts most is the amount he suffered.
I can't even imagine someone being that sick minded, said a neighbor. A Go Fund Me account is set up to raise money for a reward to find those responsible.Click here for that account.
If you have any other information, please contact the Minidoka Sheriffs Office at 434-2324.