Animals

Buzz and Woody on the Mend

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The two surviving puppies of a bee swarm attack in Fallbrook May 31 are improving and could move to the Department of Animal Services shelter in Carlsbad Thursday.

Buzz and Woody, named by their owner after the Toy Story characters, are still recovering at an emergency veterinary hospital after suffering dozens of bee stings but veterinarians report the five-month-old male puppies are bright and alert, the best they’ve been seen so far.

Yesterday, vets closed the ventral wound on Buzz, the Chihuahua mix with a blue bandage seen in a photo from Friday. They also inserted drains, which if all goes well, will be removed Thursday. Buzz and Woody, the Jack Russell Terrier mix, are both recovering the ability to blink their eyes after their bee stings and are described as having a ‘sparkle’ in their eyes this morning. Soaking baths are making the dogs more comfortable and helping them deal with all the little scabs left by the bee stings. 

The two were among five puppies discovered tied to a tree directly under an active bee hive in Fallbrook. Two of the puppies, Jack Russell Terriers, strangled to death trying to escape the swarm of bees. The third, a female Rottweiler, escaped from her tether but was found dead several feet away.

Firefighters with CAL FIRE discovered the scene when they responded to a suspicious fire in a field in the 41200 block of De Luz Road. CAL FIRE is investigating the cause of the fire. Animal Services is asking for the public’s help for information on who tied the puppies to the tree and abandoned them. If you have information, please call (619) 767-2624.

The owner says she doesn’t know how the animals ended up tied to the tree. She has relinquished the dogs to Animal Services and the department’s Spirit Fund is paying for their medical care. Anyone interested in donating to the Spirit fund can visit sddac.com/donations.asp.

Once the pups are well enough to go to the department’s animal shelter in Carlsbad, the two will continue receiving antibiotics and eye medications until they can be put up for adoption.  

Tracy DeFore is a communications specialist with the County of San Diego Communications Office. Contact