High School Cheerleader Banned from Caring for Animals After Accused of Torturing and Killing Rival’s Show Goat
A Texas high school senior, Aubrey Vanlandingham, 17, has been barred from caring for any animals as a condition of her bail after being accused of torturing and killing her rival’s show goat. Vanlandingham, who was the president of Future Farmers of America at Vista Ridge High School in Cedar Park, Texas, allegedly poisoned the six-month-old goat, Willy, in October last year.
According to court documents, Vanlandingham allegedly injected the goat with pesticide at the school’s barn facility, leaving it to suffer before dying. The goat’s 15-year-old owner was left to hold the dying animal. The prosecution has charged Vanlandingham with one count of “cruelty to livestock animals (torture)” under Texas law, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in jail and a $10,000 fine.
As part of her bail conditions, Vanlandingham is not permitted to contact the owner of the goat or her extended family. Furthermore, Magistrate Judge Cole Spainhour’s order bans her from having any animal “in her care or custody,” including her own prize-winning goat, Lacey. This means she cannot even play with her dog, cat, or rabbit without adult supervision.
The case has sparked outrage, with the goat’s owner and her family calling for a judge to impose a severe sentence on Vanlandingham. “We want justice,” the mother of the 15-year-old girl said. “We want to make sure she is punished. She needs to take ownership for what she’s done.”
Vanlandingham’s attorney, Worth Carroll, has not commented on the case. The high school student has yet to enter a plea and is set to appear in court again in March.