A man cited numerous times for leaving defenseless goats tangled and choking in an electric fence has been banned from ever having them on his property again, according to 21WFMJ News.
Following trial, a judge sentenced the man to five years probation, a $350 fine, and a ban on having any more goats. The judge also ordered the man to sell his existing goats by Nov. 2 or turn them over to Animal Charity, a registered nonprofit. The man’s property also now is subject to spontaneous inspections to ensure that he does not obtain any more goats.
We thank the more than 36,000 people who signed our petition urging prosecutors to take this case seriously and are grateful that the defendant is no longer allowed to have goats.
The case made the news earlier this year, when released body camera footage showed two stuck goats writhing in an electric fence. Deputies also documented the man throwing goats over a 5-foot tall fence and beating a goat over the head with a PVC pipe so hard that the defenseless animal blacked out for several minutes, according to the deputy’s report.
(Courtesy of Mahoning County Sheriff’s Office)
Pending court proceedings, deputies returned to the property multiple times and documented further incidents, including a dead goat on the property, another goat stuck in the fence and struggling to breathe, and three additional goats in deplorable conditions who were turned over to the Animal Charity of Ohio, according to news reports.
The man also was facing previous counts of animals at large after the goats got loose, roamed onto the neighboring homes and streets, and caused property damage.
This tragic case is a good example of why animal cruelty needs to be taken seriously the first time around. We thank the deputies who emphasized the severity of this situation and we applaud the judge for realizing that a ban on having animals was a critically important part of this sentence.
We again thank everyone who signed our petition for these goats, and we will keep advocating for animals!
