Bull, calf escape ‘hell hole;’ freedom is short-lived

Westport police and animal control officers spent much of the weekend trying to track down a bull and calf — and the animals’ owner — after the two animals escaped from the former farm crime scene off American Legion Highway.
A resident who lives down a long driveway near Westport High School reported at 5:45 p.m. Friday that a bull and calf had wandered onto his property and that the bull seemed aggressive.
Detective Jeff Majewski said that property backs up to the 70-acre 465 American Legion Highway property from which 1,400 animals were recently rescued.
Lt. Paul Holden and officer Fernando Gonsalves responded but were unable to corral the animals before they wandered back into the woods in the direction of the 465 American Legion Highway property.
They then spent the next three hours trying to locate both the animals and their owner.
Det. Majewski said they contacted three of the “farm” lot renters — two in person, one by phone — and all three denied ownership.
By 8:15 p.m., the search for the animals was called off for the night. Two animal control officers resumed searching the next morning and were at it for several hours, without success.
At 11 a.m. Sunday, Richard Medeiros, who 465 American Legion Highway and rents 21 lots there, confirmed that the owner of the bull and calf was indeed one of the men who had earlier denied ownership.
Police contacted the Fall River man and this time he admitted that the animals were his.
Det. Majewski said the man told investigators, “I don’t need this f—ing bull—-“ and said he had since sold the animals to a Pennsylvania farm animal auction company.
That man may be charged for providing false information to police officers, the detective said. “Police spent a lot of hours on this over the weekend … he led us in a different direction for hours.”
“This is the kind of attitude we are getting and that is part of the frustration,” Det. Majewski said. “These are their animals that are not being cared for — providing any kind of care, from proper shelter and food to veterinary attention is not worth the cost or effort to them … The ASPCA documented that they found some of the animals in there standing in over a foot of feces and urine.”
As of Monday, police believe there are around six animals inside the 465 American Legion Highway and reports persist that more are on the way.