Virginia Daily Press - April 19, 2000

Forget the wolves attacking cattle ranches near Yellowstone; in sleepy Gloucester, Va., four domestic dogs will soon be "destroyed" for devouring a prize-winning miniature horse.

The dogs, referred to in the Virginia DAILY PRESS story as "the marauders," broke down a gate and attacked a 30-inch tall, $10,000 horse named Butterbean. A local animal warden said pet owners just don't understand that when dogs run in packs they may behave instinctively, like wild animals. Under Virginia law, he said, livestock owners have the right to shoot attacking dogs.

Butterbean's owners didn't take an eye for an eye, but animal control officers formed a search party and tracked the dogs to a neighbor, who they said agreed to surrender his pets. Apparently in Virginia, the value of an animal's life is measured in dollars.