Drive-by Shooting

[tglenn]

Got a call from the neighbor that some "kids/thugs" on a scooter just shot one of our cows. 3 "kids/thugs" in custody now from incident and cow is at LSU for surgery to remove bullet. Doesn't appear to have caused extensive soft-tissue injuries. She was shot with a .45 and hit right on the top of her front hoof and is still intact. She has a 4 mth old calf on side and being checked for possible pregnancy. My question is -- How do you determine the "worth" of an animal? She is a 3 y/o registered beefmaster w/ an average bloodline (wonderful momma!!). She has the calf with an above-average bloodline and if pregnant, another with the same bloodline. Sold her last bull calf (same bloodline) for a LOW price of $1000 to a 4H 'er for showing. What should the parents be held responsible for "civilly". I was told to contact my homeowners insurance, we have separate liability insurance on the cows, but why contact my homeowners? Please give me some thoughts on what some of you would do and how you would handle a situation like this.

 

[BC]

If you lose the cow, what is it going to take to replace her? In addition you need to consider the loss in producing this years calf. Only you will know what your costs are.

 

[dun]

The way they used to calculate an animals value in Iceland if some drunk hit and ckilled one, was the maket value of the animal plus the market value of her potential offspring and the market value of her offpsrings offspring for a couple of generations. Seemed to generally figure out to around 10k in 1968 dollars. And that was for a stinking sheep.

 

[Jogeephus]

I would be livid. Those kids need their butt whipped good.

 

[john250]

They hit her HOOF?
I don't think you have a claim for the cow, but the cost of her treatment. If you want to sue for damages, I think punitive damages would then be in order.
I would be

 

[Lammie]

I am with Jo. I think they should be horse whipped and I think you outa be able to drive by while they stand in a pasture and you take shots at them.

 

[grannysoo]

I do believe that I have now heard it all. A drive by shooting of a cow????? What was the matter, did she flash the wrong gang symbol at them? Was she wearing the wrong colors? Was she talking smack? Did she insult them?

Bring in the punishment from Singapore. A good caning in the courthouse square on Saturday would solve problems like these.

 

[Alice]

If you choose to sue these people, go for as much as you think you can get...and don't forget to put a dollar amount on your time, trouble, and worry. And when you win the suit, please know that you may not see one lousy dollar of it.

Those punks for some reason had easy access to a 45. Either they are "bad seeds" or they have parents that are middle aged punks. If the latter is true, you may be better off filing with the insurance company and save the cost of a civil suit.

As far as punishment is concerned, please, please, please try to get the prosecutor to dig up any and all charges that can be piled on them for having and discharging that 45...and any other sniggly little charge the prosecutor can come up with.

Personally, I'd like to see punks like this have the lousiest summer of their lives...gross, nasty community service (cleaning out sewer lines)...ankle bracelets with heavy probation officer monitoring...short, short haircuts...all piercings removed...no phone or computer access...clothes that fit...forced therapy (kids hate that stuff), etc. I'd say jail time thru out the summer, but anymore all that would involve is them sitting in their cells and whining about how bad they're being treated, with Mama and Daddy whining right along with them, and/or boasting to any and all that can hear about how "big and bad" they are, all the while getting pointers from other detainees on how to refine their punk skills.

Let us know how it all goes, will ya'?

Alice

 

[I luv herfrds]

Sorry to say, but you are lucky it was just one cow.
A guy north of us had somebody or bodies shoot 9 of his cows. 8 of them are dead. :devil2: :devil2:
They are looking for them. Hope they catch them. They will talk and then the cops will have them.

 

[Jogeephus]

The tree hugging orgainc-food-eating liberal in me says that these poor boys are just misunderstood. Products of a bad enviornment. Probably suffering from either ADD, ADHD, BiPolar, or some other PC correct disorder which makes them not responsible for their actions. Poor boys are probably from a dysfuntional family and are just crying out for help. Punishing them would set back tax payer funded therapy for years. These kids should be counseled and coddled. Tax dollars should be used to educate, medicate and treat them. They are just misunderstood. Besides, whipping them could be viewed as child abuse and create negative legal liablilities for the parties involved. Making them do community service could be viewed as slave labor. We as a nation should not force someone to work if they do not want to. It just ain't right. The liberal in me says that these boys should be told (asked) to seek therapy. We can give them lots of money to do so. We can pay for their medication, pay for their treatment and pay their living expenses while they are getting treatment. This of course could take years. Possibly generations. But at least we can say we did all we could for these poor boys because after all, they are the true victims.

Of course any of the tree hugging orgainc-food-eating liberal ideas I might have had in the past got flushed down the toilet where they belong many years ago when I grew up and I really like the ideas already mentioned.

Edited to add asked rather than told. Told is too strong a word and could be viewed as a violation of their constitutional rights.

 

[chrisy]

WOW Jo thought you had taken an ALX pill there for a minute. I agree these boys need taking in hand and made to do community service. Mucking out the Cow/Horse sheds, that should do it.

 

[grannysoo]

WOW Jo thought you had taken an ALX pill there for a minute. I agree these boys need taking in hand and made to do community service. Mucking out the Cow/Horse sheds, that should do it.

I don't think that Jo would ever take an ALX pill. He's too busy pulling his tongue out of his cheek! :roll:

 

[L Weir]

I'd sentence them to a full summer of farm work. Baling hay, working calves, shoveling poop, etc. make them work off the cost of the lost cow if that would happen however long it takes.

 

[Alice]

I'd sentence them to a full summer of farm work. Baling hay, working calves, shoveling poop, etc. make them work off the cost of the lost cow if that would happen however long it takes.

That's a good idea, except I wouldn't want the little !@#$%^&* anywhere near my stuff. And, the only way you can MAKE them work is have a sheriff's deputy watch them all day...which would cost the tax payers.

Alice

 

[kerley]

If I had done such a thing, my dad would have tore my butt up, no outside help needed.

 

[kerley]

If I had done such a thing, my dad would have tore my butt up, no outside help needed.

 

[Alice]

The tree hugging orgainc-food-eating liberal in me says that these poor boys are just misunderstood. Products of a bad enviornment. Probably suffering from either ADD, ADHD, BiPolar, or some other PC correct disorder which makes them not responsible for their actions. Poor boys are probably from a dysfuntional family and are just crying out for help. Punishing them would set back tax payer funded therapy for years. These kids should be counseled and coddled. Tax dollars should be used to educate, medicate and treat them. They are just misunderstood. Besides, whipping them could be viewed as child abuse and create negative legal liablilities for the parties involved. Making them do community service could be viewed as slave labor. We as a nation should not force someone to work if they do not want to. It just ain't right. The liberal in me says that these boys should be told (asked) to seek therapy. We can give them lots of money to do so. We can pay for their medication, pay for their treatment and pay their living expenses while they are getting treatment. This of course could take years. Possibly generations. But at least we can say we did all we could for these poor boys because after all, they are the true victims.

Of course any of the tree hugging orgainc-food-eating liberal ideas I might have had in the past got flushed down the toilet where they belong many years ago when I grew up and I really like the ideas already mentioned.

Edited to add asked rather than told. Told is too strong a word and could be viewed as a violation of their constitutional rights.

So, other than beating them, what do you suggest? I ask that because many, many times juvenile offenders have already been beaten, repeatedly and savagely by their own parents...so they don't really consider that any big whoop...just makes 'em more determined to do wrong. It's the only attention they're aware of, and some actually seek it. With kids that have been mentally and physically abused repeatedly, all I would be able to think of is confinement/ strict supervision (away from their abusive parents), intense counseling, and a whole lot of prayer. If that makes me a tree hugger, so be it.

I'm not saying that these punks that shot off the .45 are victims of abuse or anything else. One good "whoopin'" may be all it takes. Maybe they've never been in trouble before and their parents are prepared to do whatever it takes to make things right. If that is the case, I hope against hope that the parents are able to stay strong and be tough.

Alice

 

[Jogeephus]

Alice, since you asked. If the parents allowed it, I would jump at the chance to make them work it off on my farm. If I am unwilling to be part of the solution then I am purely part of the problem. By working on my farm they might learn something. Feel guilt. God forbid that they learn something about farming and see their actions are not normal. I would treat them respectfully, kind but firm. I would also pay them a half wage. Half would be paid to them and the other half would be paid to their debt. In doing this, they would learn something other than what they would invariably learn working alongside a bunch of misfits who have been cast aside by a society who doesn't want to look eye to eye with the problem.

If there is a beating to be had it should be at the hands of their parents. For the kids sake, I hope they were just pulling a stupid kid's stunt that escalated beyond what they intended. If this is the case, then this is all the more reason for them to work it off on my farm. The only way for someone to learn empathy is to get to know people face to face.

I say I would do this in all honesty cause I have done this on several occassions and am now helping an underpriveledged young man this year. In all but one instance, the young men found sound paths to follow. The saddest case I saw was a young man who had two alcoholic parents who basically viewed him as the source of their problems. I don't know what they did to him but it was not good. He sometimes asked me if he could sleep in the barn if.... I took him under my wing. He stole from me and I knew it. He learned to love cows. Gave him a sweet deal on a calf. He showed it and went to state with it and even won a blue ribbon and a belt buckle. After I rode his arse hard, he finally graduated high school. Joined the service. Came back and apologized for stealing and is now married and expecting a child. If this makes me a cold-hearted conservative then so be it! ;-)

 

[tglenn]

UPDATE: The cow is still at LSU Vet Hosp waiting for surgery monday morning. Prognosis is good providing nothing goes wrong. As for the kids/thugs: 1 boy - 14 y/o and 2 teenage girls. Boy was on house arrest already for a weapons/drug charge, but while mom was away, boy how he played. He has been transferred to a juvenile detention center. The girls released to their parents. The boy has no remorse and in the mindset of "so what". The mom and dad are hard working public servants (nurse and prison guard) that are going through a divorce. They have no idea where the gun came from or where it is now, they ditched it after shooting.

I did talk to the breeder and a replacement cost for this cow is $3500+, hope we won't need to worry about that. Not to mention the calf on side and her being bred. thank you all for your comments and concern. I was really worried about one of the latest posts (my eyes were actually bulging as i was reading), but thank goodness for his change of mind as he grew older and wiser.

I don't feel sorry for this kid (shooter). yesterday it was a cow, if not punished for his crimes, what will he graduate to next....?

 

[Jogeephus]

Sounds like he is on the express lane to the prison system. I just hope when he gets his reward he will get every day he earned and not some pitance of a sentence. Its a shame someone could not reach him sooner and turn him around. The boy I could not help got on drugs too. I tried for three years but couldn't do anything to help him. Nothing and I mean nothing will turn a druggie around but themselves. Its a shame. Glad your cow is OK. Not that its their place, but maybe the parents will make it right with you.