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PAYSON — A Utah family made a grisly discovery when they found their outdoor pets had been intentionally killed in their backyard.
The Risenmay family at first feared that the family dog had gotten into a pen that held two goats, five chickens and a duck, but upon investigation they found that someone had torn the gate of the enclosure and apparently killed all the animals with a knife.
The Risenmay children were particularly attached to their goats, Lucy and Lola.
"The kids loved them, we had leashes and collars for them and they got played with every day," said mother Stacy Risenmay.
The goats, along with chickens and duck, were the two eldest children's responsibility.
"They would come out first thing in the morning and feed them and water them," Risenmay said.
But yesterday morning, the kids came in the house screaming after finding their animals were dead.
"I mean it is hard enough to lose a pet, but to have to find it and see it and know that somebody hurt them, is really hard," Risenmay said.
It was obvious to the Risenmays that someone had damaged the pen — the gate was kicked down and the latch was bent. Police were called and Stacy said the officer made a gruesome discovery.
"The animal control officer found lacerations on the goat that were quite deep that indicated a knife was used and one of the chickens was slit open," Risenmay said.
The Risenmay's neighbors also reported that someone has killed their chickens and rabbits
"Our neighbor had some rabbits and chickens that were killed as well. Their birds were all lined up with their heads facing the same way, so I don't think a dog would have been capable of that either," Risenmay said.
The Risenmay's are hoping those responsible are caught before they can do this to more animals.
"Our main concern is that in this community there are so many people who have animals, outdoor animals, and just the thought of this happening to another family breaks my heart," Risenmay said. "I just want to make sure everybody is aware and to keep an extra close eye on their animals."
The family is offering a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information can call Payson Police at (801) 465-5240.
