Award Offered for Stolen Milking Goats on Maui

By Wendy Osher

Photo courtesy Surfing Goat Dairy

The Surfing Goat Dairy on Maui is offering a $5,000 reward for the return of stolen goats from their pasture on Omaopio Road this week.  According to company officials, two milking goats were taken from a pasture in Kula on Thursday afternoon.

The theft is in addition to five other goats from company pastures that were reported stolen on July 19, 2011.  The goats are considered excellent milkers with an estimated value of $12,000. With the seven missing goats, the company’s milking herd is reduced to nearly 10 percent (which equals 10 percent less milk or cheese).  Aside from their monetary value, company officials say they are family, and parents to several generations of goats at the farm.

The goats taken on this week includes: Dopio, a brown goat with black spots; and Spreckles, a young white goat.  The five goats taken last month include: three white young goats, Alyss, Sadie and Keawe; a tan goat, Latte; and a dark brown goat, Maxine.

The $5,000 is being offered for the live return of the goats (no questions asked), or if important information is provided to police resulting in the capture and conviction of the perpetrators.

Company officials say they have already taken undisclosed action to assist in the identification and capture of the perpetrators.  They say they are very sad and devastated about the thefts saying, “You cannot have local goat cheese when the goats are being stolen.”

Surfing Goat Dairy is located at 3651 Omaopio Road in Kula, Maui.  To contact the company, call 878-2870 or email [email protected].