is this animal cruelty?

[rambler]

A few weeks ago someone painted a goat purple, shaved the number 4 in it's wool, and was transporting it in the trunk of a car. My understanding at the time was it was on it's way to a butcher shop; but don't see that in the article I have linked to.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/offbeat...vre-goat_N.htm

Along the way, the car had troubles & pulled into a service station. The service station called the police, and just heard on the news, at least one person has pleaded guilty to animal cruelty.

So - a lot of farm animals have been transported in cars over the decades. Trunk, back seat, both. Or the back of a pickup under a low cover.

I'd suspect some of you on here have done so?

While there is a bit extra with the 'paint' (or was it dyed??? News articles have never given the other side, and I don't really trust reporters to get anything straight any more....) and all.....

Was this real cruelty to animals? I'm noally seeing it so much, unless there is parts to this story I haven't seen.

What am I missing? Was it the paint? Tying the feet? The time it was in the trunk? I haven't found any news report of _what part_ was the cruel part? It's been a combination of a funny side-show story, and what must be obvious cruelty to others.

I'm in that grey area, of what is the deal?

--->Paul

[Emmy D]

Personally, I think it was tying the goat's feet together and putting it in the trunk, that had to be scary and (and IMO cruel) for the goat!

Emmy

[Pets4me]

Rambler: In many states it is consider animal cruelty to put a live animal into a trunk of a car. It doesn't matter if they are "tied" or not, it is the act of putting them in the trunk and making them ride unrestrained in it.

The painting and shaving of the hair is stupid but not usually illegal.

I am one of those that finds this story terribly cruel to the animal. I believe all animals should be given respect and kindness right up until the day they die. Even if that means at the butcher's shop. I have seen horrible footage of how they kill livestock at butcher places and I find no humor in it at all. Imho.

I don't know why's or wherefore's of this scenerio, but if they had driven it restrained in a back of a truck instead, no one would have given it a second thought.

[Oggie]

One of two people who made national news for transporting a spray-painted goat that had Brett Favre's number shaved into its sides admitted Monday she tied the animal up and locked it in the trunk of her car.

Janelle Dorothy Riopel, 21, of St. Paul pleaded guilty to misdemeanor cruelty to animals in transportation. She was placed on unsupervised probation for a year and ordered by Judge Mary Leahy to pay a $200 fine.

Prosecutors dropped a mistreatment of animals charge as part of the plea deal.

Winona animal control seized the goat Aug. 21 after employees at Winona's Tires Plus discovered it bound by its feet in the truck of Riopel's car. Riopel and her co-defendant, Sonny Yang, 24, of La Crosse, Wis., had stopped in Winona when their car broke down while they were driving from La Crosse to St. Paul.

Riopel admitted Monday she and Yang locked the goat in the trunk of the car.

The goat was painted Minnesota Vikings purple and gold with the No. 4 shaved on its side. Favre, who wears No. 4 for the Vikings, was making his debut for the team later that night in a preseason game in the Twin Cities.

"I'm a really annoyed (Green Bay) Packers fan, but even I would say this was over the line," Leahy said.

Riopel has said she and Yang planned to butcher the goat, but that it had nothing to do with Favre. The goat was already painted and shaved when they bought it, she said.

Riopel could have been sentenced to up to 90 days in jail and given up to a $1,000 fine, but assistant city attorney Brian Glodosky noted Riopel had already faced "unintended consequences" from the incident. She and Yang made national news because of the charges. Newspapers and TV stations from across the country ran stories about the pair and the goat.

From: http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/...cc4c002e0.html

[cc-rider]

I had read something else at some point, and I don't they they had intended on taking it to the butcher. I'll bet they were out to prank someone and got caught.

Remember the story about how to REALLY mess up the school administration? Get 3 sheep and spray paint "1" "2" and "4" on their sides. Then let them loose in the school. They'll go crazy trying to find number 3 sheep.

[DaleK]

It wouldn't bother me to see a goat travel a short distance in a trunk, however, in Ontario, it would definitely be illegal. And any sales barn or licensed butcher would have to refuse to accept delivery and I believe would be obligated to report it. However, Ontario now is about as nanny a state as you can find.

[yoopermom]

When I taught dog obedience, I had one customer who didn't want to get her car dirty, so she thought she would transport her jack russell terriers to class in the trunk. Those poor dogs came out coughing and wheezing, and she only lived about ten miles away. I put my foot down and told her "in the car proper or don't come to class". She unfortunately chose not to come to class...

Terri

[triplejmom]

Originally Posted by Pets4me

Rambler:
I am one of those that finds this story terribly cruel to the animal. I believe all animals should be given respect and kindness right up until the day they die. Even if that means at the butcher's shop. I have seen horrible footage of how they kill livestock at butcher places and I find no humor in it at all. Imho.
.

I couldn't agree more..

[foxtrapper]

If you look at most state animal cruelty laws you'll see that hunting, trapping and much livestock handling all meet the definition.

[Willowynd]

Yes, I have transported animals in cages in the back of the pick up truck and if the weather was really cold or it was raining, I would put the cover over. If it was hot, the cover would be rolled out part way to provide shade plus allow air flow. I have also transported animals, loose and crated in the van. But to enclose an animal in the trunk of a car is cruel. Carbon monoxide can seep into the trunk, it is hot in the summer, not lots of air and certainly not enough room for a goat. What was this woman thinking? On the way to the butcher or not, animals deserve to be treated humanely to the very end.

[Dodgegal79]

It illegal to transport in the truck here. You have to remember that exhaust fumes can get into there and could potential kill the animal.

[DavidUnderwood]

A lot of things "could happen".
Too many bizzy bodies in this world.
And we don't know what this person's
needs or circumstances were.
If cruelty laws as they are now written
were to suddenly be strictly enforced,
there would be no hunting/trapping/fishing.
Animal damage control would be impossible.
There would be no meat/eggs/milk at the store.
We each should mind our own buisness.

[VERN in IL]

Go to a Rodeo to realize how STUPID we are, THAT is animal cruelty, pronging horses with stun guns to "perform". Rodeoing is a obsolete sport that injures animals and causes pain.

[Danaus29]

I have hauled ducks in carriers in the trunk. They were fine.

However I have a problem with them leaving the goat in the trunk while the car was in the shop.

[wyld thang]

Originally Posted by VERN in IL

Go to a Rodeo to realize how STUPID we are, THAT is animal cruelty, pronging horses with stun guns to "perform". Rodeoing is a obsolete sport that injures animals and causes pain.

doesn't a stun gun "stun"? how does stunning boost performance?

[tyusclan]

I don't think putting a goat in the trunk is a very bright idea, but I can't really see where it's "cruel". I think that word gets bandied about a bit too frequently these days.

[Toads tool]

I've transported caged chickens in the trunk short distances out of necessity.
If I did have to stop I would have let the animals out before taking it to the shop.

When I was younger my uncle would take me coon hunting, the dogs hopped up into the trunk on their own. We had to keep the dead coons in the back seat because the dogs took the trunk out of prefference.

[FrontPorch]

I'm sorry, but she obviously wasn't taking it to be butchered. Yes, it's cruelty. Someone should paint, shave and transport her in a trunk to see how she likes it.

People are so stupid.

[wyld thang]

none of you have been to Africa,eh? they have trunk packing down to a science...

there's a lot of animal cruelty(in my book) that goes on that doesn't "appear" cruel--keeping horses stalled up(even tho they may have a small run "for sunshine" is truly cruel, horses are meant to ramble and graze, and live in a HERD where they can SEE and TOUCH each other. Even tho the stall/barn may be spotless, you are caging the horse's soul and mind by crating it.

or how about little dogs carried about stuffed in purses? a purse is even more confining to a dog, what's the dif between purse and trunk? no wait, the purse is made of vegan approved goo so it's ok...

[Beeman]

I guess it's obvious that people that paint themselves purple and go to football games in freezing weather without shirts surely couldn't see how this could be cruel.