Massachusetts outrage over llama farm killings
A small Massachusetts community has been stunned by the shocking killings of a pair of llamas on a local farm.
Lisa Dachinger, owner of River Valley Farm, in the town of Lenox said the animals had been shot dead with a bow and arrow in the middle of the night, according to a report on Capital 9 News.
“They’re just hanging out with their flock in the pasture and literally in the middle of the night, someone comes along and kills them,” Dachinger said.
“They’re llamas. They are peaceful, not aggressive,” she said. “This could not possibly be the work of someone who is sane.”
Although the llamas, named Prada and Chocolate, were two of four used on the farm to guard its flock of sheep from predators, the animals were also much-loved family pets, according to Dachinger’s daughter, Jennifer Petricca.
“It’s a domestic animal. It’s like shooting your dog,” said Petricca. “We adopted those llamas. We rescued them.”
Despite the killings, Dachinger and her family said they’re touched that the community shares their outrage. Already, two reward funds have been set up to help catch the culprits.
Environmental police are investigating the killings and Dachinger is hopeful they’ll have answers soon. For now, she’s taken the llamas she has left out of public view.