Neighbors' dogs slaughtered prized goats, lawsuit claims

A pair of wandering dogs set upon a group of prize-winning goats in northern McHenry County earlier this year, slaughtering six of them and wounding three others, according to a lawsuit filed against the canines' owner this week.

The lawsuit, filed in McHenry County Circuit Court, seeks $26,016 from Jeanine Lawler as compensation for the dead goats, veterinary bills of those that survived and future earnings expected from the goat's offspring.

All six of the slain goats were pregnant with one to three does each, according to court documents.

"There's a lot of value in these goats, both sentimental and financial," said Steven Greeley, an attorney for goat owner Ashley Velduizen. "They were all important to her, and some of the goats were worth up to $1,000 each, plus $500 for each offspring."

Velduizen showed the goats at competitions across the region hosted by the American Dairy Goat Association, Greeley said.

Lawler did not return a call seeking comment.

The allegations stem from a Jan. 14 incident near Richmond in which the dogs, female Newfoundland mixes named Anna and Shanna, got loose from Lawler's property and wondered onto Velduizen's land, according to court records and McHenry County Animal Control reports.

Animal-control officers responded to the incident and seized the dogs, McHenry County Department of Health spokeswoman Deborah Quackenbush said. Lawler retrieved them the next day after paying a total of $133 in fines and fees for letting her dogs run loose and their overnight stay in the county kennel.

Animal control did not take steps to have the dogs declared dangerous.

"If that's not requested by the owners (of the animals attacked), then our agency won't pursue it," Quackenbush said.

The lawsuit is scheduled to appear in court for the first time June 9 before Judge John Bolger, but the plaintiffs are asking that the case first be heard by an arbitrator before going to trial.

The lawsuit is the second bit of bad news for Lawler out of the McHenry County courthouse in recent weeks. Late last month authorities filed misdemeanor theft and gambling charges alleging the 42-year-old Woodstock woman sold nine $100 tickets for a phony raffle.