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Hamilton police are now calling the death of a pony in Stoney Creek an accident. Moonpie was originally believed to have been shot and killed by an arrow at a farm on Ridge Road. But tonight, ten days later, police say the Shetland died after impaling itself on a piece of metal. The pony’s owners are having a hard time believing the police’s version of events.
Hamilton police now say there was no human involvement in pony Moonpie’s November 16th death. Detective Sergeant Glenn Jarvie says once the snow melted, investigators were able to conduct a ground search on the farm property, where they found a small well with metal posts sticking out: “The T-bar was bent over and there was evidence that the pony had impaled itself while crossing the field after escaping the fenced in pen area.”
Moonpie then made his way to a nearby orchard where he collapsed and died.
Moonpie’s owner Sam Stoltzfus: “But they were saying it was a post similar to this? That’s what they were saying, yeah. It’s a t-bar. So if it was a t-bar, this is what the post would look like.”
Stoltzfus says this latest explanation doesn’t make sense and that the first officer on scene, had told him the wounds were consistent with an arrow: “I thought it was a gunshot because it was so clean. And then he said ‘oh no, it’s definitely an arrow’ and I called the hunter and he said it’s definitely an arrow.”
Stoltzfus says two more people, including another hunter and a conservation employee saw Moonpie’s corpse and concluded he had been shot: “From what the policeman showed me, from where the injury occurred the pony would have been running backwards in order to get that kind of wound from the fencepost.”
But police say the evidence lead them to their findings.
Jarvie: “We’ve spoken with the owner and it’s hard, I understand it’s hard for him. It’s hard for them to accept what has happened and unfortunately these are things that happen.”
The SPCA also investigated Moonpie’s death and says they agree with police.
Jarvie says there is physical evidence the horses broke out of their corral that day. That the fences were not cut as originally suspected. Stolzfus says he would like to get a private investigator.
