Cows shot with crossbow in Miami County worth $10K each

UPDATE @ 4:40 p.m.

One of two pregnant cows shot with a crossbow died and a second might not make it.

“Why anyone would consider doing this is just unfathomable,” owner Dixie Albaugh told News Center 7’s Kate Bartley.

Albaugh said the animals are worth about $10,000 each.

“It’s not just cattle we’re talking about here. These are special cows bred for years to get what you want,” she said.

 >> News Center 7 reporter, anchor Kate Bartley’s top 5 stories from 2018

Albaugh’s family has lived on the property for 130 years, so long the road bears the family name.

“Just so sad for the person who thought that they had to do something like this. It’s just ... it’s wicked,” said Albaugh, who described the cows as more like pets to her family, which is determined to find out who hurt them.

The cows were found shot by Albaugh’s son while they were in a pasture across the street from their house.

“He looked and saw that there were arrows sticking out of their sides,” she said.

One of the cows, Callie, had to be euthanized due to her injuries; her unborn calf also did not survive. Callie’s mother, Cory, has survived so far.

“She is eating and she does get up, which is a really good sign,” Albaugh said.

However, the tip of the arrow is still inside her, and owners may take her to the Ohio State University’s veterinary clinic for specialized care.

The Miami County Sheriff’s Office is investigating, and the Albaughs are hoping they can lift fingerprints off the arrows they took as evidence.

“We’re hoping to figure out who did this. These are expensive cows to be going around shooting randomly,” said Chief Deputy Steve Lord.

FIRST REPORT

One cow has died and another injured after being shot with arrows near West Milton in Miami County.

Deputies found a cow down in the field upon arrival to the 5000 block of Albaugh Road Saturday around 12:45 p.m. It died shortly after, according to an incident report.

The owner was able to remove a second arrow from another cow. The arrows were taken as evidence.

There are no suspects but it’s believed the cows were shot from a vehicle parked on the roadway Friday night or Saturday morning.

Deputies ask anyone with information to help investigators to call the Miami County Sheriff’s Office.

We will update this story as additional information becomes available.