Girl Receives $300K Settlement after Authorities Kill Her Pet Goat
A California family won a $300K settlement after authorities seized and slaughtered their daughter’s beloved pet goat Cedar
Los Angeles, December 1st, 2024 — In a significant and emotional case that highlights growing debates over how farmed animals are treated if they are considered pets, a California family has received a $300,000 settlement from Shasta County, California after officials seized and slaughtered their young daughter’s pet goat, Cedar.
The story began in 2022 when Jessica Long, a mother from Northern California, bought Cedar, a white-and-brown Boer goat, as a companion for her 9-year-old daughter. Cedar quickly became a beloved pet, and Long’s daughter, identified as E.L. in court documents, fed, walked, and cared for him daily. Although Cedar was initially entered in the Shasta District Fair’s livestock auction, E.L. had a change of heart. The little girl couldn’t bear the idea of parting with Cedar or the thought that he might be slaughtered and eaten. With her daughter crying and distraught, Long attempted to withdraw the cherished goat from the auction.
To keep Cedar safe, Long even offered to compensate the fair officials for any financial losses resulting from their decision. Despite her efforts, however, the fair’s management insisted on enforcing their auction rules, warning that exceptions would “teach youth they do not have to abide by the rules set for all participants.” Cedar, who was about 7 months old, was auctioned off for $902. However, instead of surrendering him, Jessica Long took Cedar to a farm in Sonoma County over 200 miles away, believing he would be safe there.
A Contentious Seizure and Heartbreaking Outcome
The situation escalated when Shasta County officials pursued the matter as a law enforcement issue. Acting on complaints from fair representatives, sheriff’s deputies tracked down and removed Cedar from the Petaluma farm. Court documents reveal that the family was unaware of Cedar’s location after he was seized, and Long only discovered his fate days later. Cedar had already been slaughtered by the time she learned of his removal, at the end of July 2022.
Long then filed a federal lawsuit against the county, arguing they committed an “egregious waste of police resources” and violated her and her daughter’s 4th Amendment and 14th Amendment rights protecting them from unreasonable searches and seizures, and due process.
In response, Shasta County and its sheriff’s office chose to settle rather than proceed to trial. On November 1st, 2024, the $300,000 settlement was approved by a U.S. District Court judge for the Eastern District of California, signaling a resolution in the family’s favor but leaving lasting emotional scars.
The Broader Impact and Next Steps
Vanessa Shakib, co-founder of the nonprofit Advancing Law for Animals and the family’s attorney, emphasized the importance of this case as a precedent for the treatment of animals under the law. Shakib told the Washington Post the Cedar was not just property, but a family member. She noted that while the settlement doesn’t bring Cedar back, it sends a powerful message about the value and emotional significance of animals to their guardians.
Shasta County’s attorney, Christopher Pisano, defended the deputies’ actions as lawful and stated that his clients agreed to a settlement because they didn’t want to go to trial.
In March 2023, Long added, as defendants to the lawsuit, Shasta District Fair & Event Center, which Long said retrieved Cedar after sheriff’s deputies seized him. The case against Shasta District Fair officials remains ongoing, with the family still seeking clarity on who was ultimately responsible for Cedar’s slaughter and whether similar actions can be prevented in the future.
We invite anyone involved in this lawsuit to comment. All photos presented in this article are courtesy of Advancing Law for Animals.
Check out this show and more at UnchainedTV.
What's Your Reaction?
