Sansa, Khaleesi, Pancake and Drogo, four dogs that lived with a family in Palmdale, Calif., were spending time in their backyard last week when they were suddenly attacked by a swarm of bees.
As of Friday, all four had died due to injuries they sustained when the bees attacked. Now, their pet-parents, Daniel Giron and Rebecka Lopez are left to grieve.
“The house has been quiet,” Lopez said, according to KCAL. “We're missing four of our family. It’s been sad, everybody has been sad.”
She was at home and Giron was at work when the tragic incident occurred last Thursday. Ring camera footage shows Lopez trying to help the two English bulldogs and two Doberman pinschers as the bees swarmed around her.
“On that fateful day, our dogs innocently were outside in the backyard and stumbled upon a swarm of aggressive bees,” said a GoFundMe page set up to pay for veterinary fees. “The attack was swift and overwhelming, leaving our dear furry friends with hundreds of painful stings. We rushed them to the emergency veterinarian, where we were turned away due to not having funds for an emergency of this scale. We had to visit another vet where they were forced to put Pancake down. Sansa passed due to her injuries and Khalessi passed hours later at home due to the injuries.”
Drogo passed last. Since the medical bills for the dogs climbed so high, the family couldn’t afford to have their dogs cremated, said KCAL. They are now buried in the backyard where they were attacked, each gravesite marked with a flower.
“That’s where our dogs are lying,” Giron said, pointing to the flowers. “That’s where we had to put them.”
According to KCAL, Giron and Lopez said the bees were being raised by a neighbor and escaped. They are looking to take the neighbor to court.
“The family living in the house where the bees escaped declined to comment when approached by KCAL News,” said the outlet.
This isn’t the only recent case of a dog dying due to a bee attack in California. In May, ABC 7 reported that Chance, a 2-year-old Pitbull-Mastiff, died after being stung hundreds of times in the Lake Matthews area.
According to the American Kennel Club, “bee and wasp stings can be painful and frightening for a dog, even if they were chasing the insect just a few minutes before,” and “a single bee sting will produce pain, swelling, redness, and inflammation.”
Dogs can also have allergic reactions hours after bee stings occur. Stings to the head and mouth are particularly dangerous since they can interfere with breathing.