MOBILE, Alabama -- Santa Claus — on behalf of an anonymous donor — delivered 2 miniature male horses to the Mobile Police Department, replacing 2 that were killed this summer by a pack of dogs.

On Tuesday morning, the 2 horses moved into their new home at the Police Department’s Mounted Unit complex on Virginia Street.

One of the horses is dark brown, and named Man o’ War in honor of the famous thoroughbred racer of the 1920s.

The other horse is tan, and police are holding a contest to name it, according to spokesman Officer Christopher Levy. Submissions can be made on the Police Department's website, www.mobilepd.org.

“We have been very blessed and fortunate to have received two new ponies for Christmas,” police Chief Micheal T. Williams said at a Tuesday news conference.

Following training, the horses will have roles in some of the department’s programs for children, as well as during Mardi Gras, he said.

“We have made arrangements and put in a fence and secured these horses to keep out the wild dogs that actually killed the other two.” Williams said. “We have fixed our fence so that the same thing won’t happen to these two.”

He said, “We lost family members when we lost those horses. Now that we have gained 2 more, we want to protect them and we want them to be with us for a long time.”

As many as 6 dogs got through the fence and attacked the previous horses — Little Joe and Woggie — during the early morning hours of Aug. 24.

Little Joe and Woggie died at an animal hospital in Daphne. They had made appearances at Mardi Gras parades and at the family-oriented Kids Day in Bienville.

Police caught 3 of the dogs, which were euthanized.