In the U.S., an 11-year-old girl has been awarded $300,000 by the county sheriff’s office after they seized and slaughtered her pet goat.
According to court documents reported by The New York Times, an 11-year-old girl in Shasta County, California, will receive $300,000 from the sheriff’s office after the agency captured and slaughtered her pet goat.
This incident occurred in 2022 when the girl was raising a goat named “Cedar” for the Shasta District Fair. The family had registered the four-month-old goat for the junior livestock auction, but as the event approached, the girl developed a deep affection for the goat and decided against selling it.
The girl’s mother, Jessica Long, made extensive efforts to save the goat from the auction, but the administration forcibly took it and had it slaughtered.
The mother immediately filed a lawsuit against the sheriff’s office for selling and slaughtering the goat.
To protect the goat, the 11-year-old girl’s mother took it to a farm 320 kilometers away in Sonoma County.
However, the CEO of the Shasta District Fair, B.J. McFarlane, threatened the family with a major theft charge if the goat was not returned. Following this, two deputies from the Shasta County sheriff’s office went to the farm and seized the goat. Court documents stated that law enforcement officers did not have a warrant to search the farm or seize the goat.
Ignoring the family’s request, the goat was sold for $902 and ultimately slaughtered, causing severe distress to the girl, who was left in tears. The court has ordered the sheriff’s office to compensate the family with $300,000.
