15 adolescent goats from a herd clearing brush in California shot and killed

Three nonprofit organizations are offering rewards for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the gunman who shot and killed 15 young brush-clearing goats in the Oakland, California hills Tuesday, May 22, 2007.

The rewards bring the total amount of the fund to $13,500 as of Friday, May 25th. The East Bay SPCA offered $5,000, the Humane Society of the United States pledged $2,500 and In Defense of Animals of San Rafael set aside $2,500 for information leading to the assailant. Voices for Pets of Walnut Creek already has pledged $3,000 for information, while Friends of Oakland Animal Services has offered a $500 reward.

"We were shocked and deeply saddened when we learned about this vicious attack," East Bay SPCA Director Alison Lindquist said in a statement today. "It's inconceivable that someone would attack intentionally and brutally kill these innocent animals. We want to do all that we can to ensure that the person or people responsible are captured and held accountable."

The attack happened about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, when someone on foot approached the goats' corral in the King Estates Recreation Area and used a small-caliber weapon to kill them all.

The 15 adolescent goats were part of a herd of 3,000 clearing brush near King Estates recreation area. They were separated from the herd in a temporary corral about 200 feet up the hill from Howard Elementary School when they were killed sometime after midnight Tuesday with what police believe is a .22 caliber weapon.

By the time a jogger saw them later in the morning, wild animals had gnawed on the carcasses, which made it look as though the killer had mutilated or decapitated the goats.

Some folks wondered whether the grisly event might be a prelude to other violent crimes. The reports outraged animal welfare workers and sent shivers through nearby residents who welcome the goats and the service they provide.

Several studies have made the link between animal cruelty and human violence and abuse. Sgt. Dave Cronin, chief of Oakland's Animal Services, agrees that one very sick person is responsible, and hopes the growing reward money will shake somebody to turn him or her in to police. Cronin started the reward fund with $250, which was matched by $250 from the Friends of Oakland Animal Service.

"This is someone who has a problem," Cronin said. "This is a violent person, and they are likely to do other weird things. We need to find this person."

Cronin said he believes the goat killer is a young man who lives nearby and is familiar with the area. The goats were killed after midnight, and it is not the kind of place you just drive by. It's very dark there and someone would have had to walk to the pen and know where they were going, Cronin said.

"We appreciate the outrage (over the killings) and want it to continue," Cronin said. "I think everyone sees the dangers of letting these types of cases slip through the cracks. We end up seeing these people three or four years later in custody for sexual assault and other crimes.

"There is lots of anecdotal evidence that it leads to other violence," he said.

Actually, more than anecdotal evidence suggests a link between animal cruelty and later violence against humans. According to a 1997 report by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, nearly 40 percent of animal abusers had also committed violent crimes against people.

According to the Humane Society of the United States, the FBI considers previous animal abuse as a factor when profiling serial killers.

Notorious serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer and Ted Bundy both abused and mutilated animals. Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the two students responsible for the Columbine High School massacre, told others they mutilated animals.

Terri Oyarzun, owner of Goats R Us, a different herding operation, based in Orinda, with 6,500 goats spread among many different sites, said she was frightened to know that kind of violence is happening right next door.

She has herders with all her goats and she has asked her clients to step up supervision of the areas where her goats are grazing.

"It's very fortunate that it didn't come down to a conflict with people," she said. "What would have happened if a herder had come up and said, `Stop?' It's just so very very sad and senseless.

"What has happened to make the world such a crazy place?"

"Even without the link between animal abuse and human violence, it takes a lack of empathy to be able to kill baby goats, one right after the other," Posener said. "This person is a dangerous human being, it's important we just don't accept this."

Anyone with information about the killing should call Oakland Animal Services at (510) 535-5640. To make contributions to the reward fund contact the East Bay SPCA, (510) 563-4611 or mail checks to East Bay SPCA, 3323 Baldwin St., Oakland, CA. 94612.

Sources:

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_5991954?nclick_check=1

http://www.kesq.com/Global/story.asp?S=6571670&nav=9qrx

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/05/25/BAGONQ1O5016.DTL