Man arrested after miniature horse, Star, stabbed 41 times

A man has been arrested and charged with cruelty to an animal after the miniature pony, Star, was stabbed around 41 times and later died.

Detective Sergeant Chris Henderson said the 49-year-old will appear at Dunedin District Court tomorrow.

Star had been stabbed while tethered to a fence in a Waitati paddock, north of Dunedin.

Police received a report of the attack which took place around midnight on Monday, February 18 near the corner of Brown St and Pitt St.

"Police would like thank members of the public who came forward and offered information that assisted this investigation, it is much appreciated," Henderson said.

Star was stabbed over 40 times in the back. Photo / Givealittle

In the days after the attack, Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull said the incident was of "grave concern" for the community.

On February 19, Star's owner, who didn't want to be named, told the Otago Daily Times her beloved pet had died overnight after the attack.

"I'm so angry ... and the thing that was getting me through this was that the little guy was going to pull through," she said.

'One of those tiny little cuts actually perforated his bowel and they came in this morning and he was dead.

"A *** lunatic with a knife is in our community and killed a little baby horse."