The answer may never be absolute, but wildlife officials think a wild dog probably attacked Buddy the horse in a Winslow Township pasture last week.
"We think these injuries were caused by some kind of dog, most likely a feral dog," Environmental Protection spokeswoman Darlene Yuhas told the Philadelphia Inquirer's Peter Mucha.
Farm worker Daniel Turner found the injured horse last Friday when he was getting the steeds ready for the day.
"I let Buddy in last and when I got him to the gate, I noticed the skin hanging underneath. I really didn’t know what happened, because there’s not supposed to be anything around here big enough to do something like that," Turner said.
The 13-year old horse had large gashes on his rear, side and underbelly and bites to his legs -- several inches of skin were left hanging from Buddy's stomach wounds.
The size and scale of the injuries coupled with tracks found near the farm left Winslow Police and state wildlife officials puzzled and concerned enough to put neighbors on notice early in the week that "something" vicious could be lurking in the area.
"It looks more catlike to me but again there are no cats in this area that are large enough to do something like that that we know of," Winslow Police Capt. Michael Bartuccio said. "I just want people to be aware that there might be something roaming this area."
Bears, coyotes, mountain lions and even the Jersey Devil were all thrown out there as a possibility, but now officials may be leaning towards a canine. Bartuccio said Tuesday that it's still too early to tell if a feline or canine is to blame, despite the wild dog theory.
As for Buddy, he's doing "miraculously well," according to Bartuccio -- considering his injuries.
