BOLTON – A Massachusetts woman who volunteered on a ranch was killed Saturday after a sheep attacked her, police said.
Kim Taylor, 73, a retired nurse, was leaving cattle alone in a barn at Cultivate Care Farms in Bolton, about 27 kilometers west of Boston, when a sheep repeatedly rammed her, according to a report. Newsletter from the Police Department.
Police and paramedics responded shortly after 9 a.m. and found Taylor in cardiac arrest. Taylor was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
There are no witnesses to the incident, according to the farm.
Cultivate Farms is a nonprofit farm focused on therapy, wellness, and outreach. Organization’s website outlines her approach: “Through physical activity and connecting with animals, clients gain insight into their own ability to make positive change in themselves and in their relationships.” with other people.”
The farm has a variety of animals including goats, sheep, alpacas and rabbits. Goat yoga is one of its offerings. Some programs, such as youth support groups, are led by a case manager.
“Kim is loved by everyone who has worked with her during the 14 months she volunteered on the farm,” Megan Moran, the farm’s director, said in a statement. Our deepest condolences and our sincere love and support to Kim’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time. ”
Cultivate said it is working with investigators to sort out the details of the case. Safety measures are constantly being reviewed, the farm said.
Taylor’s family, in a statement distributed by Cultivate Care, said she enjoyed her job at the ranch.
The Taylor family said: ‘Cultivate has continuously brought our mother so much joy through her volunteering and we take comfort in that.
Taylor is a nurse at St. Elizabeth in Boston. She left behind two daughters and two grandchildren, according to her obituary.
Police said: Animal control officer Bolton, Phyllis Tower is working with Cultivate Farm to determine the fate of the sheep involved in the attack.
According to Dr. Mark J. Ledoux, a large animal veterinarian based in Massachusetts, injuries to people who work with livestock are not uncommon.
“I can tell someone is killed by all kinds of livestock,” says Ledoux. “You have to be careful with all the pets.”
As for why a sheep might suddenly attack, Ledoux said there could be many explanations.
This time of year is the end of the breeding season which can cause a ram – a ram – to act erratically. Ledoux says such attacks on pets are often carried out by males, although petting can help deter some aggression.
And when these attacks occur, it’s not necessarily motivated by the animal’s desire to kill, he explains. Animals lack the logic to know that their actions can hurt someone and may be acting out of their territorial nature or they simply want to move from place to place and have someone get in the way, Ledoux said.
Part of the problem is that the relationship between humans and animals is not always what it is intended to be.
“People try to turn these things into pets,” he said. “We have to be very careful with animals. It’s not like a Walt Disney cartoon.”
