Jul 28, 2010 11:45 pm US/Pacific
Five Dead Calves Found Dumped In Ripon
One Calf Found With Rope Tied Around Neck
RIPON, Calif. (CBS13) ―
-
-
One of the dead calves was found with a rope tied around its neck.
CBS
Neighbors called police after finding five dead calves dumped near a Ripon levee, but despite the gruesome scene, San Joaquin County animal control officials said they may not investigate the incident.
Ripon police said they found the carcasses Tuesday after receiving several reports about the illegal dumping near Mohler Road.
Animal control officials told CBS13 the scene had already been cleaned up by Tuesday evening, but our camera crew found the decomposing remains of the calves still lying in plain view -- one of the dead animals had a rope tied around its neck.
Ed Machado, a dairy farmer who lives right down the street from the discovery, said he was horrified by the news and said using a rope to handle a calf is cruel.
"I can't believe anyone would do that," Machado said. "I know it wouldn't be a dairyman, because they have responsibilities."
Another nearby property owner said he has had carcasses dumped on his land before and said animal owners should learn how to properly care for them.
"What people don't understand is that if you're going to raise cattle, you need to have an idea of what you need to be doing," said Dirk Heuvel.
The calves had apparently been dumped at least a month ago, and due to the decomposition, animal control says they can't find any evidence of animal abuse or criminal conduct.
The San Joaquin Sheriff's Department said they are investigating who illegally dumped the animals.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
More Local News
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Comments