A RETIRED RSPCA volunteer has been left devastated after three pygmy goats were stolen from her farmland in Chilton, near Didcot.

Ingrid Smith, 69, realised her beloved goats were stolen when she went in the barn in which they were kept on the morning of July 23.

She said: “I just cannot believe that someone would steal the goats from me.

“They have broken my heart because those goats are part of my family – I’ve cared for them from the moment they were born.”

The barn in which the goats were kept was left open on one side to allow the goats to venture outside overnight and in the morning it had been vandalised.

She said: “The place had been completely turned upside down. Eggs were smashed, home-made biscuits were crumbled and scattered everywhere and all the bolts and chains in the barn had been cut.

“But worst of all Cosmos, Comet and Chico were missing.”

Twin goats Cosmos and Comet were born in March and have grey hair and Chico is black and white and was born at the end of April.

Ms Smith said they have all been sold to a family nearby who was due to get the goats in the next couple of weeks.

They are all castrated males and have been disbudded (had their horns removed) which is quite unusual for pygmy goats.

Ms Smith, who has another 13 goats, said: “Whoever stole them must have known how much they were worth and unfortunately, because they’re only a few months old, they haven’t had their ears tagged yet so there is no way of tracking them.

She added: “Not only have the thieves upset me, but they’ve upset the family they were about to go to.

“I am offering a £100 reward to anyone who can bring my goats home to me. It really would mean the absolute world.”

Thames Valley Police spokeswoman, Charlotte Redman, confirmed they were investigating a burglary which took place between 9.30pm on July 27 and 9am on July 23.

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