Name:	weagle89 -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/24/2018 6:27:03 AM

https://www.change.org/p/elmore-county-pd-mike-hicks-of-elmore-county-alabama-kills-beloved-cletus?recruiter=787720423&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial..&utm_term=share_petition

Is anyone familiar with this? Did it actually happen?

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/24/2018 8:42:49 AM

I can guarantee that this is not the whole story.  I will bet anything that their beloved dog was chasing the goat.  There are tons of signs at Goat Island asking people not to bring dogs because they chase the goats.  It's what dogs do instinctively.  Either way, what the guy in the pontoon boat did was terrible.  But the owners letting their dog run loose on goat island and most likely chasing the goats is irresponsible.  Goats do not swim unless they are in fear for their life from a dog.  This sorry event would have never happened if the owner was responsible.

Name:	GC -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/24/2018 9:19:04 AM

I responded with the same information on Facebook so people would know the whole story!  If you read the post these people say they were exploring the island with their dog.  After our personal experience of dogs being on the island the verbal responses from the dog owners, coupled with the goat owners ending the attraction after this year, I feared it would get physical and nasty.  

So if this story is true, the dog owner was responsible for the death of their dog.  Hard to believe a boater would resort to this and doesn’t justify his action.  Sad situation.

Name:	39KC -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/24/2018 10:00:01 AM

Dog's death on Lake Martin gains attention

https://www.alexcityoutlook.com/2018/07/24/dogs-death-on-lake-martin-gains-attention/

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/24/2018 10:07:24 AM (updated 7/24/2018 10:16:22 AM)

By the post on the liberal website, it seems the dog owners seek to blame others for their owns failure.  While it is unfortunate that the dog was killed, the obvious public denial of responsibility by the owners is typical.

Just read Outlook article that indicated that Hicks was not boat driver.....if not, he should sue the hell out of dog owner.

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/24/2018 10:13:01 AM

Based on Outlook, Hicks was not the boat driver!  Wonder who it was?

Name:	GC -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/24/2018 10:22:51 AM

But was goat island involved?  The paper reads nothing like the Facebook version.  

Name:	MartiniMan -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/24/2018 10:38:16 AM

I would assume so based on the story on some petition site.  Letting your dog swim in the water around a lot of boat traffic is irresponsible.  Letting your dog chase a goat into the water is irresponsible.  Letting your dog swim so long that it becomes exhausted is irresponsible. But if anyone thinks a dog will exhaust themselves in the water unless they are chasing something doesn't understand dogs.  And anyone who thinks it is just an unlucky coincidence that the goat and the dog were in the water and near each other is also kidding themselves.  Goats do not like water and don't swim unless they are desperate and are running from a predator.  They don't even like rain. 

I can tell you my dog would chase those goats until he was exhausted.  I would never take him to Goat Island and would never let him swim around a bunch of boats.  I am 100% convinced the owners are not telling the whole story.  But again, I would never intentionally harm a dog and I would have grabbed it out of the water as well and tell the owner what I think about them when I gave them their dog.  It's not the dog's fault they have an irresponsible owner but there's more to this story and if the boat driver gets charged the truth will come out.  

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/24/2018 10:59:10 AM

I first read about this on social media.  People calling out a man by name saying he was the guilty party in hitting and killing the dog.  First of all, people should not call out the "guilty" party - no doubt the man named is getting a lot of hate and may not be involved at all.  There is so much blame to go around - the owners should not have had their dog on Goat Island, if that was the case.  It's hard to tell from the story if Goat Island is even involved.  I remember the owners of the goats said that goats cannot swim, so unless he was being pursued, why  was the goat in the water?  Secondly, like it or not, dog owners are responsible for the actions of their dog, and it is up to them to make sure their dog stays safe.  I don't see the dog bearing any blame for just being a dog.   If the boater in question had just rescued the goat, he would be a hero.  But if he did, in fact, go after the dog with the intent of killing the dog  with his boat, then I think he should be subject to animal cruelty, because I can't think of a more cruel act as described. I wish the family, even in their horror, had gotten the boat registration number.  I hope the police do an indepth investigation into the facts - becasue judging from the article in the Outlook, I got the impression that perhaps they weren't taking this as a serious crime (and I acknowledge it may be in the writing in the Outlook and not truly represent the feeling of the police in Elmore County).  

Don't let your dogs on Goat Island.  Don't let your dog swim in the presence of other boaters.  Don't take matters into your own hands.  Get the tag number of the boat, and report it, but don't set yourself up as the judge, jury and executioner.  Don't indulge your ego in boat rage.  

Name:	lakeplumber -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/24/2018 5:32:45 PM

I am like others who have posted their sentiments here about the incident. I too believe that there are 2 sides of this story that need investigating. I say let it go to a Grand Jury, and let 12 jurors find out who did wrong.

Name:	Rooster -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/24/2018 7:47:33 PM

According to police authorities, the person named was not involved at all, was not the driver of the boat, and had no knowledge that the incident even happened.  Hope he sues the hell out of the person who put his name out there.  Terrible about the dog, terrible he was harassing the goat.  

Name:	jalcz -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/25/2018 4:03:14 PM

The article says "...ONE man accused on social media of killing the dog..." I have seen two men accused (with one retraction.) So does that mean the the other man WAS the one? (An honest question, not an accusation, because that is a very poorly worded paragraph in an already poorly written story.)

Name:	wsptiger -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/30/2018 3:02:53 PM

The fact that the dog shouldn't have been on goat island doesn't even matter. If the guy ran over the dog on purpose he is a POS and should be convicted. 

If someone walked across your property does it give you the right to shoot them?

Name:	EmceeGraw -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	7/31/2018 1:02:58 AM

This is such a stupid argument. The owner of the dog was at just as much fault. Dogs get hit by cars runaway etc. all the time. If your dog ruins into the road and gets hit by a car, is it then the drivers fault? And how does anyone who wasn’t there know this guys intentions. 

Name:	pi11pipe -	Reply
Subject:	Goat Island incident
Date:	8/1/2018 12:13:14 AM

"If your dog ruins into the road and gets hit by a car, is it then the drivers fault?"  It is if the driver passes the dog, puts the car in reverse, then backs over the dog.

Bottom line, the dog owners deserve to get punished for taking their dog onto the island. But the dog didn't deserve to get punished, especially not with the death penalty.