From: Frank Salvato Sent: Monday, May 10, 2004 3:35 PM To: Barbara Belz Subject: FW: Goat Slaughter -----Original Message----- From: mgibbs@arenellaskeith.com [mailto:mgibbs@arenellaskeith.com] Sent: Monday, March 29, 2004 10:01 AM To: Frank Salvato Subject: Goat Slaughter Dear Mr. Salvato: Thank you for returning my phone call. As I told you, for the past 2 years, the people living in the 900 block of West 3rd Street (4th house east of Howard on the North side of street) have slaughtered goats in their backyard during the spring (I believe it is usually around Easter). They begin about 7:00 am on Saturday morning and the slaughter consists taking the goats out of a wire pen in the back of a pickup truck, beating the animal until it gets into the back yard, then they put the goat on a table and cut its throat, all the while the goat is terrified and bleating (I guess this is the right word) loud enough to wake me up. After its throat is cut it is flopping around on the table until it bleeds out. Then, the goat is gutted and skinned and the carcass is hung from trees in the back yard. First, I do not expect to be watching a slaughterhouse activity from my bedroom window or back yard and secondly, I believe that there must be a health issue as to the entrails, skin, etc. in a residential neighborhood and third, I believe an animal cruelty issue involved as well. I have no doubt that if this was happening on Lake Street or Mallard, that it would not be tolerated by the citizens or the city. And, just so you don't think I am some PETA nutcase, I have a B.S. in agriculture and have attended slaughter labs as part of my degree, however, the slaughter was done humanely and the animal was not beaten and conscious when its throat was cut. I would appreciate something being done about this practice - there should be an ordinance against slaughtering livestock or any animals within the city limits of Taylor otherwise, it would not be illegal to slaughter cattle, etc. in our backyards or our frontyards. I certainly hope this can be remedied ASAP, because I really don't want to have to have another Saturday morning of listening to the goats being killed. Thank you. Marsha Gibbs 917 West 4th Street Taylor, TX 512-352-6737 (home) 512-485-3060 (work)