Cows ‘traumatized’ by rustling
By Medicine Hat News on April 22, 2021.
Police recovered four calves among a cache of stolen property near Rocky Mountain House last week, and authorities are including the financial costs of the premature weening as long-term impacts of the case. RCMP from the region unit and livestock section say the cattle were taken from a property near Caroline and were found during a search at a rural property 50 kilometres away on April 15. “The four calves have been returned to their owner, however the impacts from crime as a result of a theft of this nature are ongoing,” said Sgt. Gary Maclaren in a release. “The (human) victim will continue to experience not only the stress resulting from being a victim of crime, but also the added financial costs, which include the cost of purchasing milk replacer and having to bottle feed the animals as a result of them being apart from their mother too long. “Other impacts are long-term effects on the mothers of the calves as a result of their separation which can reduce their value.” Police were alerted to the property by a licence plate that did not match a vehicle. They allegedly found 12 catalytic converters, a loaded gun within the vehicle and a quantity of drugs along with the animals. Michael Goodine, 44, and Mac Smith, 38, are charged in the case are wee held in custody until their first court appearances. Unicorn stolen RCMP say they are investigating an apparent theft of a 11-foot-tall, 600-pound statue of a unicorn that had stood in the community of Delia as a tourism marker but was discovered 15 kilometres away in a farm field last week. Officials say the statue was reported stolen on April 15 and discovered the next morning on a rural property in Starland County. The area is about 45 kilometres northeast of Drumheller on Highway 9. Police believe thieves used a large utility truck to load the statue during the overnight hours on April 15. A bronze coloured horn was apparently broken off during the crime and is still missing. The investigation is ongoing, according to a release. 13-12
