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Kings County district attorney closes animal-cruelty probe of Virigoat Dairy after inspection
Summary
Kings County District Attorney's Office and sheriff investigators inspected claims of neglect at Virigoat Dairy after a public protest and concluded the allegations lacked merit; the office closed the case and no further action will be taken.
The Kings County District Attorney’s Office reported to the Board of Supervisors on Aug. 5 that an investigation into public allegations of animal cruelty at Virigoat Dairy found no evidence warranting criminal action and the matter is closed.
Sarah Hacker, speaking on behalf of the district attorney’s office, said complaints were brought after a July 15 protest on county property by activists from Direct Action Everywhere (DXE). The complaints alleged goats were “sneezing, coughing, and crying,” were kept in overcrowded conditions, experienced an unusually high mortality rate, and that carcasses were left exposed.
Hacker said Kings County Sheriff’s Office investigators, a DA investigator and members of the rural crimes task force inspected the facility. ‘‘The dairy was clean and free from debris and feces. The goats appeared healthy, clean, and dry,’’ Hacker said, summarizing investigators’ observations. The DA’s investigator had visited the dairy multiple times and described it as among the most cleanly managed facilities in the county.
Investigators reviewed claimed mortality rates and disposal practices. Hacker said the dairy composes deceased animals by placing carcasses beneath manure piles on the property — a practice the report said aligns with evolving state guidance and is supported by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. The investigators concluded carcasses were not exposed and that fencing and guard dogs further limited wildlife access.
Hacker told the board the owner reported an average of about one death per day outside kidding season and three to four deaths daily during kidding season; investigators compared those figures with national industry statistics and said the dairy’s mortality rates were within industry averages. Based on the field inspection and the evidence collected, the district attorney’s office concluded the allegations lacked merit and will take no further action.
The report was delivered during the public-comment portion of the meeting after county staff and sheriff representatives discussed the protest and the subsequent inquiry.
