Goat Farmer May Face Cruelty Charges
Date: 01-Apr-04
Country: USA
Chris Weathersbee said he took the goats, mostly nursing mothers and their young, from his 300-strong herd into his farmhouse to shelter them from the cold last month. But authorities say there could be a case for animal cruelty.
Police and members of the Central Vermont Humane Society seized 44 goats deemed too sick to remain in Weathersbee's care. Some were inside the house and others were in a nearby barn.
During the February raid, Vermont State Police officer Walter Goodell said he also saw the frozen bodies of several goats strewn on the farmhouse's front lawn.
Weathersbee, 63, of Corinth in central Vermont, said he refused to get rid of his goats for fear they would be slaughtered, something that his observance of certain Buddhist principles does not allow.
"I am not permitted to kill things," he said.
"We are considering criminal charges but are waiting for a report by the state certified veterinarian," Goodall said.
"We are not professionals at dealing with goats so we need an objective, professional opinion on the condition of the animals, which is our primary concern," he added.
A decade ago Weathersbee said he planned to start a goat cheese farm with three goats. Since then the herd has exploded to 300 and while he said he fed them all well, some contracted diseases.
Representatives of the humane society could not be reached for comment but the group's Web site said it is "exploring the possibility of adopting out some of the goats into homes which do not already have goats."
Weathersbee said he would go on a hunger strike if the state took more of his goats away.
