Is this animal abuse?

[Fluffy_the_chicken]

Our neighbors have a herd of goats, who have a small pen about 13 by 13 pen with around 10-14 goats that live in the mud, and there hobbled to roots in the ground when they try to escape. Today I saw a Nanny and her kids laying dead in the yard for I don’t know how long. Is this abuse? They don’t want to talk ever and the goats only have a small shak open on two sides for shelter. I am worried and they look very sad and depressed. They try to get out any chance they get.

 

[WILIFORD]

Do not report them for abuse. Report them for neglect. Neglect is subject to interpretation, but in the case you describe, almost any moral person, and any pet owner, would interpret these conditions as neglect. Additionally almost every state has laws against animal neglect.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

The pen size in and of itself might not be illegal but the hobbling and dead goats are. I would do you best to film it without being seen (picture or video) and report it to your local animal control and health department. Build up some evidence first if you can.

 

[Weeg]

I defiantly think this is animal abuse! Do some research on it first, what is a law and isn't and then 100% call animal control and report! This is horrible! That makes me so mad!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Leaving a goat teathered for their safety isn't wrong. Neither is keep ing chickens in a coop and run 24/7

 

[NatJ]

One of the most neglectful things though is leaving them dead in the pen. Who knows what they dies of , disease, starvation... in any case it's neglect at least.

Depends on how long.

OP said:

Today I saw a Nanny and her kids laying dead in the yard for I don’t know how long.

If the owner was at work all day, the goats might have looked fine in the morning, died during the day, and been noticed when the owner got home.

And since it was a nanny and her kid, maybe she gave birth and something went wrong? That can easily happen in the time a person is away at work, and if they do not have the option of working from home or missing work, there's not much they can do to prevent it.

I don't know if this was neglect or not, just saying some non-neglect situations can fit the same description we've been given.

 

[tripletfeb]

This is abuse without any doubt! If you get nowhere with the police, contact ASPCA or your local Humane Society or PETA. You can find their contact info online. This makes me sick!

It actually may not be abuse. It depends on the laws of OP's state. And contacting peta is the absolute worst thing OP can do! If they want to contact animal control thats up to them. But contacting peta would be bad for all concerned

 

[Fluffy_the_chicken]

Sounds suspect forsure.

Also, when there was a fire,they left them locked in the pen

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Hobbling and tethering are two completely different things. IMO, hobbling constantly is neglect, and tethering is not.
A tethered goat-
View attachment 2500548
Hobbled goat-
View attachment 2500549
A hobble is a rope, or band that binds the legs together so they can't move quickly. Keeping an animal like this constantly is neglect.
Another hobble-
View attachment 2500550

I agree. If they're hobbled, that's not cool in my book, but usually that's left for horses, plus it's just not very common anymore. That's why I originally wanted clarification

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Depends on how long.

OP said:


If the owner was at work all day, the goats might have looked fine in the morning, died during the day, and been noticed when the owner got home.

And since it was a nanny and her kid, maybe she gave birth and something went wrong? That can easily happen in the time a person is away at work, and if they do not have the option of working from home or missing work, there's not much they can do to prevent it.

I don't know if this was neglect or not, just saying some non-neglect situations can fit the same description we've been given.

I agree. Not saying it isn't neglect in this case, but animals die sometimes, and we're not always home to hurry up and dispose of them. People have lives, jobs, classes. It's terrible enough to come home to find one of your animals dead, without being called neglectful.