CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- There's something strange going on in Chesterfield County. A family said they woke up Tuesday morning to find five of their goats dead, from what appears to have been a violent and bloody attack. They said this wasn't even the first time they've made such a gruesome discovery. For the second time in less than a year, several animals on the farm became the target of an unknown predator.
"It breaks my heart, I feel nausea, it's not necessary," said goat owner Bessie Jacobs. "It's like losing a family member."
Ms. Jacobs said the discovery of her five dead goats was difficult.
"My Alpine (goat) mother; I mean she's all chewed up on the side," Jacobs described.
Some of the surviving goats can't walk now, while others are having to fend for themselves.
"The babies have no mothers now," Jacobs explained, emotionally.
Edward Baugh owns the farm and said this is the same way several cows were killed in August, by what Baugh thinks were dogs.
"It's terrible," Baugh said.
The farm owner said what looked to be paw tracks could be a telltale sign of what's responsible.
"Dogs, pit bull dogs," Baugh said.
However, if you ask William Branch -- who lives right across from the farm -- he does not believe his dogs, which include both pit bull and hunting dogs, are to blame. Investigators questioned Branch after the attack.
"I have 17 (dogs)," Branch said. "There are four that live in the house, two that's tied on chains and the rest of them are in pens."
Now Branch said he feels his dogs are being targeted -- for one reason.
"It always seems like because I'm so close, they seem to think it comes from this way, but it does not," Branch said.
As for Bessie Jacobs, she too wants answers.
"I would like to see some justice for my babies, first of all they didn't have to die, they never hurt anybody," Jacobs said.
The injured goats were taken to the vet. It's still too soon to say what led to the death of the five farm animals.
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