CINCINNATI – A dog attacked six goats at the Spring Grove Cemetery Monday night, injuring some of them seriously and killing at least one.
The goats were at the cemetery as part of an experiment to see how well grazing animals can control invasive plants. There were to remain there until they had cleared up about an acre’s worth of weeds.
Michael Woeste, whose company provided the goats to the cemetery, said the goats were all alive Wednesday, but he was still caring for the goats he could. Others were seriously injured and undergoing more intensive care with a veterinarian, suffering from injuries including a broken back, a broken scapula and severe punctures and lacerations.
Woeste later learned that one of the goats, a kid named Prince Charming, had died from his injuries. An unborn goat was also killed when its pregnant mother was attacked.
As many of you know, some of our goats at Spring Grove Cemetery were injured Monday night. We are working with the...
Posted by Permaculture Guru, LLC on Wednesday, March 23, 2016
The goats were fenced in a pen in the corner of the cemetery’s woodland preserve at the time of the attack. Cemetery representative Debbie Budke said a trail camera caught the dog attacking the goats, but they didn’t immediately know how the dog had gotten past the 7,000-volt electric fence and into the pen.
Woeste showed a reporter human footprints side-by-side with dog prints leading up to the enclosure, but Budke said only a dog – and no human – was seen on camera.
The goats had become a favorite of the cemetery’s visitors, she said.
“We have been encouraged by the popularity of the goats and the success of the program,” cemetery president and CEO Gary M. Freytag said in an announcement. “We are deeply saddened by the events of Monday evening.”
Woeste set up a GoFundMe page for anyone who wants to help pay for the goats’ vet bills.
