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Pitbull owner sentenced for horse attacks

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By Doug Page, Staff Writer Updated 9:39 PM Thursday, September 10, 2009

NEW LEBANON — A judge gave the owner of two pitbulls a suspended 90-day jail sentence Thursday, Sept. 10, for his animals’ mauling three miniature horses at the Learning Tree Farm.

Montgomery County Court Judge James Piergies also fined Anthony Manos $500 and ordered $735 in restitution to the farm.

“Sometimes things happen in life,” Piergies told Manos in suspending $400 of the fine.

Two of the horses, which stand 31-inches high, died in the March 10-11 attack. A third was severely mauled.

“The kids adored those ponies,” said Patricia Rau, director of Learning Tree, a nonprofit that provides hands-on experience in a traditional farm setting in Jefferson Twp. “The three ponies had been together for at least 15 years.”

Manos had pleaded no contest to a single count of owning a dangerous dog. Five other counts were dismissed.

According to a presentence report, Manos cooperated with officials in their investigation of the incident. The two dogs were the offspring of rescued dogs, and Manos had held several fund-raisers for the Humane Society prior to the attacks.

Manos, 26, is a member of the National Guard with a good chance of being deployed overseas. Piergies said he would not impose probation so that Manos could fulfill his military commitment.

The two dogs wandered away from Manos’ home about one mile from the farm sometime March 10. The next day, one dog returned covered in blood. He immediately started searching for the second dog, drove to Learning Tree Farm and asked permission to enter the farm to look for the dog.

Manos and two staff members found two miniature horses, which stand about 31 inches tall, mauled and dead with the second dog sitting next one of the bodies. The third miniature was found bleeding from the face and flanks.

Manos surrender the dogs to animal control officials. “He was devastated,” Rau said shortly after the attack. The dogs were later destroyed.

Also devastated was the miniatures’ owner, Belinda Short of B&S Pony Rides in Vandalia. Piergies said Manos will also have to make restitution to Short. Because of the amount, that restitution will be handled in Common Pleas court.

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