Animal owners in Porter Ranch and the nearby communities of Chatsworth and Granada Hills are seeing unexplained ailments and behaviors in their pets, including nosebleeds in horses, and many wonder if the methane and odorants escaping from the leak in Aliso Canyon may be to blame, it was reported today.

As she visited her American quarter horse at stables just east of Porter Ranch, Debra Zavatto came across a frightening sight: blood coming out of the animal’s nose, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday morning. In the 13 years she’s cared for Scarlett, Zavatto had never seen anything like that.

The experience is not unique. In Porter Ranch and the nearby communities of Chatsworth and Granada Hills, animal owners are seeing unexplained ailments and behaviors in their pets, according to The Times. Many are questioning if the gas leak is the cause.

Southern California Gas Co. first reported the leaking well Oct. 23, and since then an estimated 77 million kilograms of methane have been released, leaving communities near the site to deal with foul odors and nosebleeds, headaches, nausea and other short-term ailments.

Of the 2,479 households that have relocated out of Porter Ranch, 40 percent have pets, primarily cats and dogs, gas company spokeswoman Anne Silva told The Times. The gas company is not keeping data on how many customers say their pets have fallen ill or died as a result of the gas leak.

One Porter Ranch family put down their beloved Alaskan Eskimo dog after it became very ill in mid-November, the Los Angeles Daily News reported. Another lost all 20 of their brightly colored Koi fish after they started dying or disappearing from a backyard pond. And others in the Porter Ranch area have noticed fewer bird and wildlife sightings.

While no definitive conclusion has been reached, Los Angeles County health officials are warning that certain animals may be more vulnerable to the leaking fumes.

“Birds and fish may be more sensitive to some chemicals and gases, so (pet) birds should be kept indoors and outdoor fish ponds closely monitored,” a Los Angeles County Public Health Department official said in an email to the Daily News.

—City News Service

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