‘Gippy Goat’ taken again as more funds raised for livestock theft
THE owner of a milking doe that has allegedly been stolen for the second time from Gippy Goat Cafe believes activists may have returned to “remove evidence”.
THE owner of a milking doe that has allegedly been stolen for the second time from Gippy Goat Cafe believes activists may have returned to “remove evidence”.
The doe, which police found and returned to owners last month after it was allegedly stolen by animal activists, was again taken from her pen “under cover of darkness” at the Yarragon farm late last week.
Gippy Goat Cafe owner John Gommans, who milks 1900 goats, said the doe, who was “in good health,” was being kept at the farm under police instruction as evidence of the initial theft.
“They are probably looking to remove evidence … that would be my concern,” he said.
About 70 activists had stormed the goat farm and tourist cafe the weekend before Christmas, allegedly stealing three goats and a lamb, and loading them into the back of cars.
Police found the milking doe and lamb, along with other animals unrelated to the theft, wearing nappies at a Koo Wee Rup home last month.
Police told The Weekly Times they believe the two alleged thefts were “possibly connected”.
Mr Gommans said he has supplied security footage to the police, but has no hope of seeing the remaining two goats which are still missing from the first theft, and the milking doe again.
Six activists have been charged over the first theft, with police still expecting to make further arrests.
An animal activist, who The Weekly Times revealed receives more than $2000 a month in public donations to undertake “rescues”, accused the farm of killing the goat and reporting it stolen.
“(It’s) quite convenient for her to be missing again and the blame to be put on activists before their hearing,” she wrote on Instagram.
Mr Gommans said the claims were “beyond” him.
“I can’t imagine what advantage that would give us,” he said. “Why would we be destroying evidence? We’re not being charged with anything.”
“At the end of the day this is not about us, we were the target.
“This is about every farming family in Australia and why should they all be staring out in the night wondering who is stealing from them simply because (these activists) think we shouldn’t be allowed to farm animals.”
Meanwhile, The Weekly Times can reveal another activist, Joanne Lee, who told The Weekly Times she was involved in the Gippy Goat Cafe raid before Christmas, has raised $1260 to hire vans for another “confidential” action.
“We have decided to hire two airconditioned vans to keep the animals comfortable on their liberation rides,” she wrote on a GoFundMe page seen by The Weekly Times.
“Please don’t share this fundraiser outside of this private group … this is a private and confidential event.”
The highest donor was a chiropractic business from Bondi in NSW, which contributed $190.
When questioned by The Weekly Times Ms Lee said the action didn’t go ahead and that the money was donated to a local animal rehabilitation group.
Just hours after The Weekly Times contacted Ms Lee about the Go Fund Me page it was listed as “no longer active”.
Ms Lee also receives more than $550 a month from public donations via another website to support her work training people on how to be active in the vegan movement.
The activist earlier told The Weekly Times the training was “not about going into farms and stealing” but confirmed this week, “if actions are taking place in environments where animals are present, animals who require emergency attention — which is almost a certainty — (they) will be rescued”.
Melbourne University Law School professor Jeremy Gans recently told The Weekly Times those contributing financially to support the theft of livestock and break and enter were at risk of being found complicit in the crime.
“If you encourage or assist someone to commit a crime then you’ve committed the crime as well, if they go on to do it,” he said.
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