SLIDELL, La. (WGNO) — Two women said their pet goats were stolen and butchered at a gas station in Slidell.
On Feb. 19, Barbara Taylor and her friend, Mary Holland, returned home to find their three goats missing from their yard: Red, Blue and Shep.
“I put them on St. Tammany Parish Lost and Found Facebook and someone gave me a tip that they were at the Quick EZ,” Taylor said. “I figured, I would just go get my goats and when I got there, they were skinning Red, and Blue was tied up to be next.”
According to Taylor, the goats had escaped their enclosure while she was in Baton Rouge and mistakenly brought to an Ag Center in Slidell. Taylor said Red, Blue and Shep were stolen from the center by an unknown man and sold to the manager at a nearby gas station, Quick EZ, for $100 each.
“When someone steals your pets, I mean, you have a loss, you know?” Taylor said. “Physically and emotionally, I’m distraught. These are my babies.”
In an attempt to rescue her pets, Taylor and Holland drove to Quick EZ where they were able to save Blue with just minutes to spare. Unfortunately, Red had already been killed and Shep was nowhere to be found.
“They’re Nigerian dwarfs, they’re not bred for meat. They’re great for PTSD.”
Taylor, a veteran, raised the three goats from when they were just days old as a way to help with her PTSD.
“They became our babies,” said Taylor. “Just like when you get a dog, you fall in love with them.”
No arrests have been made in the case, but deputies with St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office are investigating.
Taylor plans to purchase more goats in the future and has created a GoFundMe for anyone who may want to help.
Stay up to date with the latest news, weather and sports by downloading the WGNO app on the Apple or Google Play stores and by subscribing to the WGNO newsletter.