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Incident Record

Dog killed and multiple people stung after chained dogs disturbed a hollow-tree bee colony on a ranch

A family-submitted report described six or seven hog dogs chained near a tree on a ranch in Medina County. A bee colony occupied a hole on the opposite side of the tree where a stake chain was tied. Multiple people were reportedly stung, and a dog named Nemo died following the attack.

Record ID: TX-MEDINA-2010-NEMO
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This record is part of a first-pass incident research dataset. Records, categories, and source notes may be updated as additional information is reviewed and verified.
Date 2010
Location Between Dunlay and Bery / Lipan Ranch off Hwy 476, TX, Medina County, TX
State TX
Record Type Animal-Involved Incident
Trigger / Activity Animal / Pet / Livestock Encounter
Severity Animal Fatality / Human Injury
Bee ID Status Bee ID Unknown
Aggression Classification Severe defensive attack

Incident Summary

A family-submitted report described six or seven hog dogs chained near a tree on a ranch in Medina County. A bee colony occupied a hole on the opposite side of the tree where a stake chain was tied. Multiple people were reportedly stung, and a dog named Nemo died following the attack.

Public-Safety Lesson

Trees, fence lines, tie-out areas, and ranch equipment should be checked for bee activity before animals are chained, worked, or exercised nearby. Hidden colonies can respond rapidly when vibration or movement reaches the nest site.

Impact Flags

Human Fatality No
Human Hospitalized No
Animal Fatality Yes
Responder Involved No

Source Information

Source: HoneyBeeAwareness.org submitted incident report / Leroy Rankin

Source Strength: C - First-Person Family Report