Vallonia, Ind. (WHDH) — Two brothers are accused of killing more than 20 cats in Vallonia, Indiana.
Gavin and Garth Goens, both 28, were arrested on Jan. 13 on charges of animal cruelty, possession of marijuana, and possession of paraphernalia, Jackson County Sheriff Rick Meyer announced Monday.
A neighbor reported on Jan. 9 that she had recorded an altercation between the Goens and another man, during which the Goens yelled at the woman, “Hey, your cats are dead,” the sheriff said.
When an officer visited the Goens’ home on South Main Street, the brothers initially said the cats they had killed were feral, the sheriff added.
They allegedly went on to say that the cats had come onto their property and were caught in a trap.
Numerous wire traps of varying sizes containing some sort of bait were observed on the property, the sheriff said.
During the conversation, the sheriff says the brothers admitted that cats matching the description of the neighbor’s pets had been a nuisance and were caught in the traps.
The brothers allegedly killed the animals by shooting them in the head with a 9mm handgun before burying them on their property.
A further investigation revealed that they had allegedly killed more than 20 cats.
“We take reports of animal cruelty very seriously,” Meyer said. “The facts of this case are very disturbing. Nobody has the right to kill or harm a neighbor’s pets.”
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