By: Sharon Aron Baron
A dog almost lost its life after being attacked by a swarm of Africanized honey bees on Friday evening.
Alvin and Lois Entin were taking their pug Princess for a walk in their backyard in the Woodlands Country Club when a swarm of bees that were hiding in a cable box came after them. The couple were both stung, but Alvin said Princess was stung by literally hundreds of bees.
The toxins from the bee stings sent the pug into shock, resulting in the need for blood transfusions by her veterinarian in an effort to stabilize her.
Alvin wrote on his Facebook page.“Lois and I are devastated and praying for our sweet dogs recovery. It’s touch and go.”
At the time, Alvin wasn’t optimistic on her survival because the vet couldn’t give them any answers.
“It’s so unbelievable,” wrote Lois. “She went into shock, she has internal bleeding – the venom caused a catastrophic shut down of her immune system. We are heartbroken.”
According to the Pompano Pelican, a half dozen dogs have been killed by [African honey bees] because dogs can’t get away from them,” said David Aycock, animal control officer with the city of Pompano Beach. The bees Aycock describes as “stupid and wild” often nest close to the ground. A favorite place is city water meters. They’ve also been found in dead palm fronds and in the entry doors at the new Publix on Atlantic Boulevard. The noise from weed eaters, leaf blowers and lawn mowers often sets them off.
On Saturday, Alvin said that Princess made it through the night but was far from out of the woods. “She has no appetite yet, but was able to stand. Still not telling us that she will make it, but also still not telling us it’s hopeless. Fingers remain crossed and we believe all your prayers and good wishes are helping.”
On Monday morning, the news was positive. The veterinarian told the Entin’s that the bleeding appeared to have stopped. Princess was able to go home and is now resting and getting plenty of love.
Alvin said that he will now contact someone who will collect the bees and use them for honey, and after that, call Comcast to repair their cable conduit by fixing the hole with silicon, so more bees cannot come back.
