Soap Lake, Washington, USA
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GOOD NEWS!!
We didn't save any money on car insurance, but we GOT OUR STOLEN GOATS BACK!!! (You'll have to watch TV ads to 'get' that joke!).
It has been an incredible day! I've been researching & following up on tips all week, and have been focusing on tracking down our stolen kids, including sending out emails galore, running ads on the AM/FM radio, posting informational signs along our road, handing out & posting flyers in a 25 mile radius, calling busnesses, and having wonderful people like those at Boergoats.com run an article about our 5 stolen kids.
I received a new tip this morning ! that sounded very promising; they asked to speak to me privately in person. The person providing the tip has requested that they stay anomymous, because of possible retaliation against them and their family, so please don't ask who they are (I will definitely honor their request). The tip involved a group of goats that were purchased under 'suspicious' conditions, or possibly even stolen, and the person who had them wanted to sell them quickly. This group of goats was 2 hours away (near Walla Walla!!), but some of the leads tied back to them possibly originating from our location, so after contacting Terry Brown to get her SUPER SLUETH HELP, David & I jumped in our car and raced to meet her.
We went to the address where the kids were supposed to be at. I was expecting disappointment and heartache, but I was THRILLED when I saw all 5 of my stolen kids greeting me from a run down little pen with some other goats, including a buck! At that point, we called the sheriff. Before the sheriff arrived, people (young "cowboys") started arriving at the house (occupants). I was not worried, as we had protection if needed...nuf said about that. I was NOT leaving there without my goats!
To keep from dragging this out too much, I'll say that of course the fellow is blaming someone else, saying that he bought the goats off a fellow at a gas station in Quincy at 11 pm on Friday. He said the man who sold him the goats had them cross-tied in the back of his gray Nisson pickup. There sheriff has filed a report, and says that if they can prove that the fellow is lying, he will be arrested. The problem is in disproving or proving the validity of his statement. We were expecting that to be the case. I am having a hard time buying his story, but I don't want to slander someone by releasing their name if they did in ! fact just buy the goats. I am going to talk to the Sheriff tomorrow & see if the fellow who had the goats named the gas station in Quincy where the supposed 'sale' took place. If he did, the gas station may have surveilence video of their parking lot - it's a long shot, but it might be very helpful.
I didn't think the people that had the goats seemed like criminals, and I am not sure that the fellow reported actually stole the goats . At this point, it is not appropriate for me to release his name if he is possibly just guilty of buying 'hot goats' instead of actually stealing them. I am going to continue to research this from the angle of him as the possible thief, and also from the angle of the person in Quincy in the gray Nisson pickup as the possible their, if they even exist.
The goat kids are in the shed, eating hay, Boer Goat Developer, and staying out of the rain.&nbs! p; After I check them over good, I'm going to reunite them with their dams later tonight (I'm about 10 hours behind on chores!!).
Persistance pays off! I really appreciate all the help people have provided, including all the positive thoughts and prayers. I have woken up exceptionally sad the past several days, thinking about how I really failed providing a safe home for these ultra-tame goats. Now that nightmare is over, and we can look to the bright (and more secure) future!
Thanks for your help EVERYONE!! Life is GOOD again!
:) Leslie
lbader1@yahoo.com
www.leaningtreefarm.net
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