An Alabama woman was arrested on charges of animal cruelty after she allegedly took her neighbor’s goat and painted it blue, according to the FOX affiliate in Memphis.
The accused, Erica Marie Farmer, 34, allegedly took the goat believing it belonged to her cousin, according to the FOX 13 Memphis. Then, as a prank to her cousin, Farmer allegedly covered the stolen goat with blue food coloring, shampoo and posted the pictures to social media.
The vagabond goat from Gulf Shores did not belong to her cousin, but actually belonged to Natasha Harris, who didn’t know it was roaming around the neighborhood, according to Fox 13.
When Harris returned home to find her goat missing she inquired from a neighbor about the whereabouts of the goat in question, and this third neighbor showed Harris the social media posts which depicted Farmer holding the baby goat, and another picture of the goat after it was painted blue, according to Fox 13.
Harris called the Baldwin County Sheriff’s department to report the missing goat, and sheriff’s deputies arrived at Farmer’s home where the blue-painted goat was still present, according to Fox 13. Farmer was arrested on charges of cruelty to animals and second-degree theft of property. She was booked in the Baldwin County Jail on Sunday and was then released on $1,000 bail.
Harris tried to explain to the goat’s owner after she was released from jail that the dye-job was merely a prank because Farmer thought that the goat belonged to her cousin. (RELATED: ‘Either Fly Home Or Face The Consequences’: Australian PM Reacts After Racing Pigeon Flies From American To Australia)
“I told her I was sorry, and I’d do anything to help her get the charges off of her, ” Harris told Fox 13. “Now I know my goat was just dyed, and there was no harm.”
Both Harris and Farmer are hoping that authorities will drop the felony charges because they are now friends. As for the goat, Harris said, “He’s fine. He’s running around.”