Assateague Pony Dies from Eating Dog Food

Assateague Island officials are warning visitors never to feed the ponies, after a mare was found dead in a campground.

Photo: L. Davis/Assateague Island National Seashore

Photo: L. Davis/Assateague Island National Seashore

The seven-year-old mare N2BHS-AI, known as Chama Wingapo, had no visible injuries when she was found, but an investigation showed she had eaten large quantities of dog food, which caused a blockage that ruptured her intestine.

In a Facebook post, Assateague Island National Seashore explained that dog food can be deadly because it is too rich for a wild horse, whose natural diet is beach grass.

It's a reminder that "a fed horse is a dead horse." Officials say that the dog food may not have been given directly to the horse, but it wasn't stored away from the horses and other wildlife. If the dog food had been secured in a vehicle, Chama Wingapo could still be alive.

Assateague Island National Seashore shares this list of guidelines for visitors to the island:
• Store all unattended food in your vehicle.

Bay Bulletin