By Doug Fletcher,Staff Writer

GREENE – A goat farmer shot to death two Rottweilers as they attacked his herd of pregnant goats at a Merrill Hill Road farm Tuesday.

Four of the 20 goats were killed and another three had to be put down by a vet, said the farmer, Sheldon Bubier. Eight others were critically injured, he said.

The rest of the herd suffered wounds primarily to their necks but are expected to live, although some may lose their fetuses, Bubier said.

The dogs were snarling while tearing into his goats, Bubier said Wednesday. “They were crazed, like wild animals.”

The attack was taking place when Bubier arrived at the farm at 7 a.m. to begin his daily chores. Bubier grabbed a rifle that he had with him and shot one of the dogs in the goat pen under his barn. The second dog, which was outside the pen, jumped into it and began snarling at him, so he shot that dog, too, he said.

The goats were to be the foundation of a dairy farming operation that Bubier had been developing for the past two years. He said the attack likely will set back his plans to begin selling goat milk next year by at least 12 months.

“I just suffered an enormous loss here,” he said.

He estimated the financial damage to the herd at $4,000, but said that doesn’t include future losses resulting from lost sales of milk and other dairy products.

His goats, he said, aren’t merely $50 animals. He estimated that he had invested about $350 in each of the goats in preparation for the dairy operation’s opening.

Bubier called Maine State Police, and Animal Control Officer Wendell Strout came to the farm. Bubier said Strout determined the owner of the dogs, which had been on the run for a couple of days.

Bubier hoped Strout’s investigation would help him to recoup some of his financial loss.

Strout said Wednesday afternoon that he’ll meet with the dogs’ owners on Friday to issue them a summons. He said he plans to charge them with allowing dogs to run loose as well as another provision of state law that deals with damage caused by domestic animals. He said he’ll also ask the court to order that restitution be made to Bubier.

Stout estimated Bubier’s loss at between $3,000 and $5,000.

He declined to name the owners since he hadn’t yet issued the summons.

Stout said the owners told him Tuesday that the dogs had escaped from a porch about 5 p.m. Monday. They were spotted at several locations in Greene on Monday night before ending up at Bubier’s farm.

Bubier said the attack has raised his awareness of the dangers some dogs can pose.

“People need to know how vicious those dogs are,” he said. “What if that had been a child instead of goats?”

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