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Pack of dogs kills 60 goats at Arizona dairy farm, owner says
A Rainbow Valley farmer said he lost about 60 goats after a pack of dogs dug under a fence and attacked his herd. FOX 10's Taylor Wirtz spoke with the owner of Crow’s Dairy about the devastating impact.
RAINBOW VALLEY, Ariz. - A Rainbow Valley farmer made a devastating discovery Wednesday morning when he found dozens of his goats dead in their pen.
What the Owner is Saying:
Wendell Crow of Crow’s Dairy says they were killed by a pack of dogs. He believes they killed about a third of his herd, which is about 60 goats, such a large amount that he will have to temporarily shut down production.
Crow’s goats are more than just a business to him, saying, "They can be like your best friend, the goats can."
Big picture view:
Though he is proud of the cheese he makes from their milk, which he’s been supplying to dozens of top resorts and restaurants in Rainbow Valley for years.
"Linda’s been to probably six resorts, she’s been in all the fanciest hotels in town, Linda has," Crow said of one of his favorite Goats named Linda. "Right now, we're probably doing 100 pounds a day, 200 pounds a day of cheese."
The Attack:
But on Oct. 7, he discovered some dogs had dug under the fence, gotten into the goats’ pen, and attacked them. A staff member saw them running off.
"Terrible, terrible down there. I can’t believe it," Crow said. "It’s probably 30% of our herd that got killed last night. And it’s the future of our herd."
Pattern of Problems:
Crow says several people in the area let their dogs roam free, and it’s been a recurring issue for farmers.
"It's a bad problem out here in Rainbow Valley. Lots of people let their dogs run," Crow said.
No Proof, No Help:
Though he called animal control, he says they couldn’t do anything about it.
"Without any proof of it or anything like that, he can't do anything. You have to have pictures of them or something like that," Crow said.
The Impact:
And as he’s coping with the emotions of losing so many of his beloved animals, it’s also going to be a big blow financially.
"Oh it crushed me. It crushed me. I already cried this morning. They’re our girls, you know, that's how we make our living," Crow said. "This is just going to shut us down for now. I have some inventory I'll be selling to the restaurant still, but I'll stop all my retail and, just finish up the inventory I have and hopefully I'll have a month or so left."
What's next:
Wendell says he will start to shut down production of goat cheese on Wednesday. He’s hopeful he can get back up and running by the new year.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Wendell Crow, owner and president of Crow’s Dairy; and FOX 10 reporter Taylor Wirtz.