A baby goat whose head was chopped off in a gruesome animal sacrifice was found dumped on the side of a Long Island highway — and now local activists are offering cash for information on the ghouls who did it.
The decapitated goat was found dumped in Bellport near a Long Island Expressway overpass on March 15 and officials said the animal appears to have been killed as part of ritual consistent with some Santeria, Palo or Haitian voodoo practices.
A $5,000 reward is up for grabs for any tips that lead to an arrest and conviction — with $3,000 chipped in by the Suffolk County SPCA, and $1,000 apiece from the New York State Human Association and Humane Long Island.
“This is a shocking and deeply troubling case of animal cruelty,” SPCA Chief Roy Gross said Thursday. “This was done by a human who used a very sharp instrument to torture and kill this innocent, new born baby goat.”
Gross, who has investigated “countless” stomach-turning animal sacrifices on Long Island for over 20 years, said this particular case was “barbaric,” as the goat was under a month old and weighed just 8 pounds when it was sacrificed.
The goat was likely sacrificed at another location as there was no evidence of the sacrifice and killing at the scene, the chief said.
The goat’s body was found by a driver who spotted the carnage and called cops.
Whoever killed the kid could face possible felony charges of animal cruelty and jail time, Gross said.
To report any information regarding the decapitated goat, and any other information about ritualistic acts of animal cruelty, contact the Suffolk County SPCA at 631 382-7722.