Discovery of decomposing animal carcasses prompts investigation
Published 2:00 pm Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Police in Terre Haute, Indiana and officials from the Indiana Board of Animal Health are investigating how the butchered carcasses of at least 15 animals ended up in an alley in the city.
Code Enforcement Officer Laurie Tharp of the Terre Haute Police Department told the Tribune-Star that efforts were underway to determine whether the slaughter of the animals was legal, ethical or warrants additional investigation.
Police received two complaints about the animal carcasses in the alley, located near the Indiana State University campus, and Tharp said she located garbage bags containing the decomposing animal parts. The manner of disposal was illegal, she said.
“They made it somebody else’s problem to take care of,” Tharp said of the bags being left in the alley without being put into a container.
Most of the meat had been removed from the animals, which appeared to be goats that had had their horns cut off as well. The internal organs of the animals remained in the carcasses, she said, but it did not appear that the animals had been killed humanely. They may have had their throats cut so they would bleed out before being butchered for the meat.
While most of the animals appear to have been small goats, one animal may have been a dog or a coyote, based on the size of its tail and the color of its fur, Tharp said.
The decomposition of the animal remains indicated they had been in the alley for at least three days if not up to a week, she said.
Besides the sickening odor of the remains, Tharp said, other hazards existed for scavaging wildlife or dogs that could have eaten or been sickened by the animal remains.
“Those animals could have had disease,” she said.
The Vigo County Health Department sent a person to the scene to help clean up and dispose of the animal remains. Tharp said the cleanup was difficult because when carcasses were picked up, they fell apart due to the decomposition and insect activity.
Tharp added she does not think that the animals were killed for sport, fun or sacrifice, but she also does not think it was an ethical way to slaughter an animal for food.
Criminal charges could be filed based on the outcome of the investigation.
The Terre Haute (Ind.) Tribune Star contributed to this story.