ORWELL — Six loose cows appear to have been shot and killed Friday night in Orwell, according to a press release issued by Vermont State Police Saturday.
The cows had been running wild most of the summer and fall, said Brian Kemp, who owns Mountain Meadows Farm in Sudbury/Whiting, in an email to the Independent.
“No one knows whose they were, even though it had been put on social media,” he said. “No one ever came forth to claim them.”
On Friday night, just short of 11 o’clock, troopers responded to a report that several people in a pickup truck were shooting cows on a property in the town. Upon investigation they discovered six dead cows with apparent bullet wounds near the intersection of Route 73 and Horton Road, according the press release.
Five hours before, area resident Kenney Torrey had seen the cows running loose on Route 73, he wrote on Facebook Saturday morning.
Police checked with a number of nearby farms but were unable to determine who owned the cows. They’re asking anyone with information about the owners or the incident to contact Trooper Josh Gurwicz at the New Haven Barracks at 802-388-4919.
“A shame that it had to end this way,” Kemp said. “Very reckless and concerning actions by someone.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to include comments from Brian Kemp and Kenny Torrey.