In May of 2023, 21 News reported on an incident in Ellsworth Township involving a man who allegedly had goats whose heads were stuck in an electrical fence to the point of choking themselves.

Now, over 31,000 people have signed a petition in support of these goats and in protest of a decision to allow the owner to keep them for the time being.

21 News has confirmed with Mahoning County Sheriff's Department Detective, Pat Mondora that 66-year-old Robert Stare is allowed to keep the goats in his custody until he's proven guilty of his charges of animal cruelty and animals running at large on a public roadway.

According to a press release from Lady Freethinker, a petition site with a goal of exposing and stopping animal cruelty cases, supporters of the petition are pushing for "full accountability" in this case including "maximum bans" on Stare owning animals if he's convicted.

Supporters are also calling for the "immediate seizure" of the goats during the court proceedings to ensure their welfare.

"Goats are intelligent animals who deserve to be treated humanely, and the condition of ‘starving’ as reported by Mahoning County Sheriff’s Deputies is a sign of chronic neglect and mistreatment," said Lady Freethinker President Nina Jackel.

Detective Mondora tells 21 News that since the charges have been filed, Stare has sold two thirds of the goats in his possession and moved the fence away from his neighbor's house.

Additionally, the Ellsworth Township Zoning Department has sent him a letter asking him to repair his fences and have the proper fencing for livestock. At this point, Mondora is unsure if he's complied with this order, as he hasn't heard back from the zoning department at this time.

Mondora tells us ever since the charges were filed, no complaints regarding Stare or the goats have been made to the Sheriff's Department.

So far, Lady Freethinker's petition has a total of 31,648 signatures.

The organizer of this petition, Lex Talamo has created petitions against animal cruelty in the Mahoning Valley in the past, previously gaining over 38,000 signatures on a petition involving a pig kept in "dungeon-like" conditions in Campbell.

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