YOUR AD HERE »

Dairy goats shot and killed near Toponas

Zach Fridell

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new information as of Tuesday afternoon.

A Toponas woman returned home Friday evening to find her two dairy goats shot to death, her second pair of goats that have been killed this summer.

Lara Jackson reported that her two goats were shot at close range while in her yard between 5:15 and 5:50 p.m. Friday.



“Somebody had driven onto our property and shot both of our 6-month-old goats,” she said.

Other animals on the property, including chickens, a horse and two dogs, were not injured.



She said this is the second pair of goats she and her husband, Dave Cabell, have owned in the past several months.

She bought the first pair of goats in July. One was killed after apparently being hit by a car on Colorado Highway 134, in front of their home, on July 22. The second was killed three days later. At the time, they assumed it too had been hit on the road but she said she’s now questioning that assumption. The goat was not found until the next day and scavenging coyotes made it difficult to tell what killed the animal.

She bought the last two goats about two weeks ago.

“The thing we keep coming back to is the person who possibly hit our goat the first time” came back to shoot the other goats, she said.

She said one goat was shot in the chest and the other in the face, apparently with a .22-caliber rifle. She said it appears the goat shot in the face did not die immediately but was dead when she arrived.

Cabell called police at about 6:30 p.m. Friday, and Routt County Sheriff’s Office deputies took a report.

Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Mellisa Baumgartner confirmed that the goats were shot and said there are no suspects in the case.

Baumgartner said the culprit could be charged with cruelty to animals, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Class 1 misdemeanors are punishable by six to 18 months in prison and a fine of $500 to $5,000.

No clues yet

The investigation into the case has stalled, and Routt County Sheriff’s Office deputies are asking for tips about the shooting.

Baumgartner said today that there were no shell casings recovered and no obvious tracks on the ranch.

“It’s pretty much 100 percent cold at this point, so unless we get a tip … we have nothing to go on,” she said.

Anybody with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 970-870-5504.

— To reach Zach Fridell, call 871-4208 or e-mail zfridell@steamboatpilot.com


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.