Reward offered after dead goat incident

An animal rights group has announced it is offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever recently hung a baby goat's carcass on the fence outside Petaluma High School.

The Animal Legal Defense Fund, a Cotati-based nonprofit, made its announcement on April 30 in response to the April 4 incident. That morning, Petaluma High students arrived at school to find the carcass of a baby goat hanging by its hind legs from a fence along the baseball field. The carcass was removed soon after its discovery around 7:30 a.m.

"We think we know that it wasn't a Petaluma High School student" who put the carcass there, Principal David Stirrat said at the time. Authorities have not identified any suspects. The incident remains under investigation by Petaluma Animal Services.

Although authorities never released the animal's cause of death, the Animal Legal Defense Fund (ALDF) has declared its hope that police find the "goat killer." The group also cites California Penal Code stating that anyone who "maliciously and intentionally maims, mutilates, tortures or wounds a living animal" could face up to three years in jail.

The group also cited another incident, apparently unrelated, regarding the death of animals at a different public school — Adrian Wilcox High School in Santa Clara, where four chickens, a rabbit and a duck were found killed in late April. Those animals, part of a school agricultural program, were killed during a break-in over the weekend, according to police. Three juveniles were detained in that case.

"The gruesome slaughter of innocent animals has shocked our community," said Stephen Wells, ALDF executive director, in a prepared statement. "We urge anyone with information about the killing of this baby goat to come forward immediately for the safety of the animals and humans in our community."

Anyone with information on the goat carcass at Petaluma High School is asked to contact Animal Control Officer Mark Scott at mark@petaluma animalshelter.org.

For more on the Animal Legal Defense Fund visit aldf.org.