A pair of Huskies roaming freely through the countryside near Steinbach have left behind a trail of destruction, killing nearly half the flock at Big Hero 8 Farm in the Rural Municipality of Hanover and seriously injuring one of the farm’s owners. On Monday, October 6, Sarah and Vernon Wieler’s peaceful afternoon quickly turned into a nightmare when the two dogs entered their property. “It was about 2:30 in the afternoon,” recalled Sarah. “Our dogs started barking and losing their marbles. I went outside and saw two Huskies in our backyard.” At first, she said the dogs didn’t appear aggressive, but they showed no fear either. “They looked well kept, well fed, and clearly owned,” she said. “They weren’t scared of me or our dogs. They were just wandering around, like they belonged there.” The attack unfolds Moments later, one of the Huskies slipped through the small opening in the chicken barn door. What Sarah saw next was something no animal owner ever wants to witness. “I saw one of our original chickens lying dead on the ground,” she said. “Then I looked around and saw chicken bodies everywhere. It was devastating.” Vernon, who was working nearby, rushed home to help. Together, they managed to trap one of the Huskies inside a section of the barn, but by then, the damage had been done. “We thought they had killed them all,” said Sarah. Later counts revealed 46 chickens were killed and 45 survived, and around 19 or 20 remain unaccounted for. A few more died in the days following the attack from shock or injuries. “Even my favourite rooster, Fred, our last from the original eight chickens that the farm was named after, he died the next day,” Sarah said. Serious injury adds to the loss As Sarah called for animal control, Vernon went to locate the second dog using a quad. What happened next compounded an already devastating day. “He has a fuzzy memory of it,” Sarah said. “He thinks the dog either stopped or bolted right in front of the quad. He swerved or braked and was thrown off.” Two nearby drivers, who happened upon the scene, stopped to help until paramedics arrived. “They were absolute angels,” Sarah said. “One gave us a blanket, the other made a pillow for Vernon out of a bag of grass seed. They stayed until the ambulance took him.” Vernon suffered multiple fractures and a dislocated ankle. “He broke his shinbone just below the knee and dislocated his right ankle,” she said. “He needed major surgery to repair both legs.” With Vernon now in a wheelchair for six to eight weeks, farm operations have ground to a halt. One Husky caught, one still loose The Husky that was trapped had a collar but no tags, microchip, or tattoo. The RM of Hanover’s animal control officer later picked up the dog, which is now being held while officials wait for an owner to come forward. The second Husky remains unaccounted for. “As far as I know, that other dog is still out there,” said Sarah. “It’s not fair to the dog... it wasn’t kept appropriately, and now it’s going to end up paying the price.” She fears the caught Husky will likely be euthanized because of the severity of the attack. “It’s a loss for everyone,” she said. “A loss for the dog, for us, for our farm, for the chickens that were killed. It’s just awful all around.” Community reports and bigger concerns Sarah notes that in the hours before the attack, several people had reported seeing the same pair of Huskies wandering freely around Steinbach. “People had posted on What’s Up, Steinbach that they’d seen them near Timber Falls, running in traffic on Highway 52,” said Sarah. “They were also seen near the RCMP detachment earlier that day.” She said that shows just how dangerous the situation could have become. “It could have been so much worse. They could have caused a collision, or what if they’d attacked a child? It’s terrifying.” Financial and emotional toll Big Hero 8 Farm, a small family-run free-range operation, has lost much more than chickens. Their egg business is now shut down indefinitely. “We had to call all our regular customers to tell them the farm is closed,” said Sarah. “We don’t know who owns the dogs, so we can’t recover any damages.” Rebuilding will take months. “We’ll have to start over... hatching new chicks, raising them, waiting 16 to 18 weeks before they start laying eggs again,” she said. “It’ll be spring before we can reopen.” What about insurance? “We’re just a small family farm,” she explained. “Our deductible would be higher than what it’s worth. We have no insurance money coming to cover this.” Thankfully, Sarah’s employer has been supportive, allowing her time to manage the crisis, and family has stepped in to help. “My brother-in-law and sister-in-law cleaned up the farm so we didn’t have to see it like that,” she said. “My sister also started a meal train so we could have some help while Vernon’s laid up. We’re so grateful.” A call for responsibility What frustrates Sarah most is that the tragedy could have been prevented. “I just need people to look after their animals,” she said bluntly. “If you own a dog, it’s your responsibility to make sure it’s secure. Don’t just assume it’ll wander harmlessly. These two dogs caused devastation... financial, emotional, and physical.” She hopes speaking out will prevent another family from going through what hers has. “It’s not just about our chickens,” she said. “It’s about what can happen when dogs are left to roam. Someone could have died on the highway that day. Someone’s kid could have been hurt. This isn’t just a farm problem. It’s a community safety issue.” The RM of Hanover continues to work with its animal control contractor to locate the second Husky and identify its owner. In the meantime, the Wielers are trying to recover and look ahead to rebuilding their flock. “It’s been a long, hard week,” Sarah said. “But we’re hopeful. We’ll rebuild. We just need people to be responsible so this doesn’t happen again.”