Dog kills goat while onlookers encourage the attack, Merritt RCMP say

WARNING: Details and an image in this story may be disturbing to some people. Discretion is advised.

RCMP in Merritt, B.C., are trying to identify the owners of a goat that was spotted in an online post recently.

Police said on Nov. 24 someone alerted them to an online post where a suspect posted a video of what police called a pitbull “violently attacking a white goat inside a house, where onlookers stood by encouraging the attack.”

Officers were able to identify the house, police said, which is on Granite Avenue between Douglas Street and Houston Street, and obtain a search warrant under the Criminal Code of Canada and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

Police said the South East District emergency response team and the BC SPCA helped in the search.

Sadly, we found the remains of a goat during our search, Staff Sgt. Josh Roda with Merritt RCMP said in a release. We are trying to identify where the goat came from. We would like to determine if the goat was stolen, sold or given away.

The goat had a white body and brown fur on the top of its head and was wearing a collar in the video, police said.

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0:49 Molly the pet pig adopted from the BC SPCA killed and eaten by new owners

“The dog was also located in the residence,” Roda said. “Unfortunately, due to some complications, the SPCA wasn’t able to take the dog immediately. They are looking at going back there shortly and retrieving the dog.”

He said police are still investigating the possibility of pressing charges in this case for causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. No one has been arrested at this time, he confirmed but he does anticipate it will lead to charges.

“We’ve got lots of tips from the public so far and actually new video evidence from the public, which has been extremely helpful to push the investigation forward,” Roda said.

Anyone with information about the goat is asked to call the Merritt RCMP at 250-378-4262.

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