A local goat breeder says she lost four goats to illness that happened after they were fed by well-meaning passersby.
Know Horseplay Farms, in Rock Falls, Illinois, posted July 15, 2014, a simple plea: "Do not feed other people's animals without their permission each and every time."
The animals' owner believed an elderly couple dumped several bags of bread over the pasture fence for the goats. She said she didn't find out about it until nine of her goats were down and sick.
"What happened that fateful day was the perfect storm. I had already fed the goats and then went to work. Two other groups of people then fed the goats again. This all happened within two hours or so. Too much feed in such a short period of time," said a post from Know Horseplay Farms.
"They all have bloat from too much bread," the post read. "I don't think it was poison because the other twenty one goats are fine."
Ultimately, the farm reported four of the goats died. At least two of the dead goats left babies behind. At least two of the sickened goats were babies.
“A few pieces is fine but some of them received loaves!” read a later comment about the incident. Another animal owner commented that people were still feeding their animals over the fence, despite signs that read "Thank you but please don't feed us" signs every six feet along fences.
"Please don't assume you have the right to feed animals that aren't your own. A farm is not a petting zoo," read the post on the Know Horseplay Farms Facebook page.