Man Kills Child's Emotional Support Sheep, Will Serve No Jail Time

A Florida man who stabbed an emotional support sheep for children will not serve any jail time, being sentenced to community service instead, the Miami Herald reported. Jose Reyes, 71, of Miami was convicted of animal abuse after he stabbed and killed a Barbados Blackbelly sheep named Dora. He was allegedly after the animal’s carcass, which can be sold in the area’s black market.

Dora belonged to the Out of the Ashes Foundation, a south Florida non-profit that seeks to bridge the gap between Miami’s inner city children and an agrarian lifestyle. Kids can go to the organization’s farm and ride horses, garden and otherwise connect with nature. Dora was an emotional support sheep within the organization, with a natural inclination to soothe people in distress.

Unfortunately, the Out of the Ashes complex has been a hotbed for break-ins from people looking to corral and slaughter animals. Aside from Dora, multiple horses were stabbed there in recent years. Reyes and another man, Robel Morales, went to the farm in 2015 and attempted to nab Dora and other sheep in a pickup truck. Knife thrusts from the men proved fatal.

Morales accepted a plea bargain, the terms of which required him to complete a program for first-time offenders. Reyes, on the other hand, took the case to trial and lost, claiming that he was only the driver and hadn’t taken part in the killings himself. Reyes was sentenced Thursday to a restitution fee, three years of probation and 250 hours of community service.

Barbados Blackbelly sheep are adaptable to multiple climates, which makes them desirable as a source of meat in tropical areas. They have short hair that sheds in the spring, meaning they are able to live and thrive in places like Florida and the Caribbean.