Goats shot, rabbits stomped to death
Wilson, NC (US)Incident Date: Wednesday, Oct 19, 2005
County: Wilson
Disposition: Open
Suspect(s) Unknown - We need your help!
Case Updates: 1 update(s) available
While the Meyers family was away on Oct 19, someone entered their property, passing through two separate fences to get to his goat pen. The intruder shot and killed two visibly pregnant goats, then pulled seven rabbits from their cages and stomped them to death. It was the Meyers' 11-year-old daughter, Shayna, who discovered the bodies.
One gray, baby goat is still unaccounted for.
About four years ago, Meyers and his wife, Caren, purchased a mostly clear-cut, 4.5-acre tract of land directly behind their house. Though their house is in the city, acreage is in the county. When the Meyers decided to clean up their county plot, the primary obstacle was the kudzu, which was waist deep and had overgrown even the tallest trees.
Herbicide would have contaminated adjacent Lake Wilson. Burning the vines left stems and roots, and the vines came back. The Department of Agriculture suggested goats as a way to eliminate the vines.
Meyers studied all pertinent zoning laws and spoke with the city Planning and Zoning Board about his plan to enclose goats on the property.
Meyers went out of his way to ensure that his goats didn't disturb his neighbors. "If any of them smell bad, I get rid of them," he said. "If any of them bleat a lot, I get rid of them. The zoning board says they have to stay in their pen for most of the day; I do that, too."
Heather and Scott Anderson live one house down from Meyers and his family. They've been living there the entire time that the Meyerses have had the goats. Meyers' first fence runs about 5 feet from the back of their property.
"We keep a bucket of feed in our garage so we can go out and feed the goats," Heather Anderson said. "Mark has always been a gracious neighbor. He tells us before he does anything. We've enjoyed the animals. I can't believe someone would be this cruel."
City Councilman Bill Blackman, who has spoken with Meyers' on a number of occasions, said he hopes that the city and county will work together to find out who did this. Wilson County deputies are investigating the case as felony cruelty to animals.
Hartley Adams, owner of Adams Carpet One and one of Meyers' neighbors, is pitching in for the reward. Adams and Meyers are offering $500 for information leading to a conviction. Anyone with any information can contact the Wilson County Sheriff's Office at 399-2850. If you have information on this case, please contact:
Wilson County Sheriff's Office
399-2850
Case UpdatesPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals announced Tuesday it is contributing $1,000 for information leading to a conviction in the case, bringing the reward for information up to $1,500.
Detective Richard Fulghum of the Wilson Sheriff's Department is investigating the case as felony cruelty to animals. Some interviews have been conducted, but no arrests have been made.
Anyone with any information about this case can contact the Wilson County Sheriff's Office at 399-2850. | Source: Wilson Daily News - Oct 26, 2005
Update posted on Oct 27, 2005 - 8:40PM |
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