Not sure who is the stupid one here
The person at Rural King who thought this idea up in the first place
The person who did not contact 4-H and ask if they wanted the money from a goat raffle
The company lawyer at Rural King who did not bother to check if this kind of thing was legal
The city of Muncie for having such a dumb law and having such a bad tampered code inspector
or
All of the above
Goat raffle has b-a-a-d outcome for farm store
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — An Indiana farm supply store’s plan to raffle off a young goat to help local 4-H programs has been called off.
The Rural King store in Muncie was selling $1 tickets. But the city’s animal control agency halted the contest on Wednesday and fined the business $100 for raffling a live animal in violation of a local ordinance.
The Star Press reports (https://tspne.ws/1CSXqzh ) that the 3-month-old brown goat, named Ernie, had been kept in a pen inside the store since at least last week.
Animal Rescue Fund co-director Dana Salkoski said she offered to buy the goat for $100, but was told the raffle had already raised about $600 and would go on as scheduled.
A store manager referred calls to the chain’s corporate office, which had no comment.
Fund founder Terri Panszi said the issue hit home since the group had rescued a goat and eight lambs earlier this year.
“The problem we have is they’re raffling off a live animal to they-don’t-know-who,” Panszi said.
The local ordinance includes an exception for “4-H auctions and/or charity fundraisers,” but it didn’t apply because the store isn’t officially connected with 4-H and had not made arrangements with 4-H before the raffle, according to Muncie Animal Shelter/Animal Control Director Phil Peckinpaugh.
Donors who didn’t want to participate in the actual raffle could check a box saying they just wanted their money to go to 4-H.
“I think that their intent was noble,” Peckinpaugh said. But, he said, “rules are rules.”
The goat was leashed and taken out to a waiting pickup truck while Peckinpaugh was still in the store Wednesday, to be returned to the farm from which it had come.
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Information from: The Star Press, https://www.thestarpress.com