Family mourning after donkey, goats mauled by pit bulls in Dorchester County

DORCHESTER COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – A family in Dorchester County says their donkey and two goats were mauled to death by two pit bulls that got into the animals’ pen.

It happened Saturday in the Clemson Terrace neighborhood.

A neighbor called the family on Saturday after noticing the dogs in the fenced-in barnyard. Susan and Mel Cramer ran to the pen where their mini donkey, Mr. Henry, lived with their two pygmy goats, Mocha Fred and French Vanilla.

“I saw the phone and I picked it up, and he said ‘Susan, something bad happened. One of your goats is dead and there are two dogs in your yard,’” Susan recalled.

“I put my pants on and my shoes. I wanted to get my shotgun, but there wasn’t enough time. I carry a pistol; I have a permit,” said Mel.

They ran out into the fenced-in pen where their mini donkey, Mr. Henry, lived with their two pygmy goats, Mocha Fred and French Vanilla. Two dogs had gotten into the fence.

“I wasn’t really thinking about getting bit. I just wanted to find where my animals were. I looked in the barn- Henry and the other goats were not there, and there was a little patch of woods. They weren’t there, and when I turned around, they were all three on the ground. Mauled.”

The dogs then charged at Susan and Mel. But a neighbor fired his gun, and Mel did as well. One of the dogs died immediately – the other dog did not die but ran off.

“Susan was screaming hysterically,” said Mel. “I mean it was bad. She was just in shock.”

According to a police report, Dylan McAllister admitted the dogs were his. He was charged with two counts of public nuisance with a fine of $500 each, according to the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office.

The dog that ran from the property was euthanized by Dorchester Paws on Monday.

As for the Cramers, losing their three furry family members has been tough. “We’ve had the donkey for about 16 years and the goats we’ve had for about three years,” said Susan. “They weren’t like dogs, they were like kids,” added Mel.  “They were like family, I mean.”