California girl, 11, wins $300K settlement from police who seized, slaughtered pet goat: ‘Can never get him back’

A California woman was awarded $300,000 successful a colony pinch constabulary who went retired of their measurement to prehend and butcher her beloved pet goat, according to reports.

Jessica Long’s girl — who was conscionable 9 years aged erstwhile her goat, Cedar, was hauled disconnected to nan bulldoze successful 2022 — reached nan colony Friday pinch nan Shasta County Sheriff’s Office and respective of its officers, Courthouse News Service reported.

The mother sued nan section successful 2023, a twelvemonth aft officers traveled astir 500 miles roundtrip to prehend nan goat without a warrant, each successful nan sanction of a authorities fair’s expected rules that had nary ineligible binding.

Jessica Long’s girl was awarded $300,000 successful a colony pinch constabulary who went retired of their measurement to prehend and butcher her beloved pet goat Cedar. Advancing Law for Animals

Her girl was fixed Cedar successful April 2022 and tended to him regular for months pinch plans to raise him for a livestock auction astatine nan Shasta District Fair arsenic portion of a younker program.

But erstwhile Cedar was handed complete to nan adjacent astir July of that year, nan woman recovered she couldn’t portion pinch nan animal — particularly since nan auction he was slotted for was trading nan animals for meat.

“After nan auction, [the daughter] would not time off Cedar’s side.” nan suit read, according to Courthouse News.

“[She] loved Cedar and nan thought of him going to bulldoze was thing she could not bear. While sobbing successful his pen beside him, [she] communicated to her mother she didn’t want Cedar to spell to slaughter.”

But erstwhile Long tried to intervene, nan adjacent said its rules wouldn’t let Cedar to beryllium removed from auction — contempt location being thing legally binding earlier income successful its auction code. So Cedar was sold — to Republican California State Sen. Brian Dahle — astatine a gavel value of $902, 7% of which was to spell to nan auction.

Dahle later agreed to nullify nan acquisition — nary costs were ever exchanged — and Long offered to salary nan adjacent its $63 commission.

Long sued nan Shasta County Sheriff’s Office successful 2023, a twelvemonth aft officers traveled astir 500 miles roundtrip to prehend nan goat without a warrant. Advancing Law for Animals

Despite this, nan adjacent refused to merchandise Cedar, truthful nan mother snatched nan goat distant and secreted him distant to a workplace successful Sonoma County — and nan Shasta County Sheriff’s Office obtained a warrant to prehend nan goat for nan fair.

Police drove astir 500 miles roundtrip to return backmost Cedar, only to find that they had a warrant for nan incorrect farm.

They yet located nan goat and seized him without a warrant, according to Long’s lawsuit.

Exactly what became of Cedar is unclear — but it is believed he was handed complete to adjacent personnel, who slaughtered him and threw his nutrient successful among nan selections astatine a organization barbecue.

Despite nan settlement, Long said her daughter, who is now 11, remains heartbroken.

“The young woman who raised Cedar mislaid him, and Cedar mislaid his life,” nan suit read.

“Now plaintiffs tin ne'er get him back.”

The colony will beryllium put successful a spot for nan young girl, according to Courthouse News.

Litigation pinch defendants from nan Shasta District Fair and nan younker programme progressive is still ongoing.

The Shasta District Fair and Shasta County Sheriff’s Office did not instantly respond do a petition for comment.