BEEVILLE, Texas — A Beeville rancher is seeking answers after her mini-donkey was found shot to death over the Labor Day weekend, an incident that has sparked concern among landowners about their livestock's safety.
Molly Smith Thomas reached out to KRIS 6 News after she discovered her donkey, Enzo, was missing on Sunday while preparing to take him for breeding.
“We looked all over the land,” Thomas said. “We had a search party, about 10 people looking up and down the road, and they found him off the side of the road and he had been shot to death.”
Thomas said Enzo was a 10-year-old mini-donkey who came with the property she purchased a decade ago. She described him as a gentle animal beloved by her family and visitors.
“He was just a really sweet donkey,” Thomas told KRIS 6. “Everybody loved him. He was just like a puppy dog. Every time we go to the ranch, he would just follow us and be right at our feet.”
According to Thomas, evidence suggests Enzo was shot while trying to flee. “He was shot twice in the stomach and then in the butt probably as he was running away from the gunfire,” she said.
Thomas has contacted the Bee County Sheriff’s Office, which has opened an investigation. She also notified a local game warden and the Department of Public Safety.
Her primary concern now is for the safety of her other animals. “I’m concerned about my livestock, my mares and my babies,” Thomas said. “I have three foals due in February and I’m just concerned for their safety.”
The incident resonating with other ranchers in the area, including Robert Melton Capeheart.
“It hits close to home when it’s one mile from my place,” Capeheart told KRIS 6. He called the shooting a malicious act that underscores a broader problem. “For somebody just to maliciously go by and shoot an animal, that’s something completely different.”
Capeheart, who has raised horses for over 40 years, emphasized the significant financial investment involved in livestock breeding. “You could have lost anywhere from $500 to $50,000,” he said. “And you had no control over it.”
Both ranchers are urging the community to be more vigilant and report suspicious activity to authorities. “Helping each other, keeping our eyes out for anything that looks suspicious,” Thomas said. “Anyone driving slow through the area that doesn’t really belong needs to be brought to someone’s attention.”
Capeheart echoed that sentiment, calling for a return to respecting private property. “We need to get back to a society where we respect other people’s property,” he said. “Whether it’s livestock, equipment, vehicles, house, barn, whatever.”
The investigation into Enzo’s death is ongoing, however, Thomas is offering a $500 reward for any information that leads to an arrest.
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