UNION GROVE, Wis. — Tiny Hooves Sanctuary in Union Grove is a place for healing. So it's all the more traumatic for the animals there when their peace is broken.
"It's incredibly hard. It's very difficult. In all honesty, we felt so broken and lost from that happening," said Beca Thompson, Tiny Hooves founder and president.
Last Friday, a man drove onto the sanctuary and violently assaulted two staff members with a brick, according to Thompson and authorities.
According to Thompson, he had returned to retrieve a young female goat he had dropped off earlier that morning.
Thompson told us it's not uncommon for people to leave animals at Tiny Hooves. After all, it's a sanctuary and forever home for abused and unwanted farm animals. Today, they have 168 residents.
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"[The best part of my day is] watching the animals delight in the simple things. Knowing the trauma that they've come from and watching them heal," said Thompson.
But, Thompson said, no one has ever come back for an animal. And there has never been any violence, she added.
According to the Racine County Sheriff's Office, Bradley Kubisiak of Muskego, attacked the staff. Following a standoff nearby that lasted for hours, Kubisiak took his own life, according to authorities.
The Racine County Sheriff's Office has not yet commented on any possible motive for the attack.
Thompson said Kubisiak attacked her partner, Taylor Romack, and Hooves vice president Sandi Swiss. Both are recovering at home but trying to get back to work quickly.
"I'm pretty sure you couldn't keep Sandi away from here," said Thompson. "And Taylor is the love of my life. This is who we are and what we do."
The goat Kubisiak left at Tiny Hooves that morning will be staying. Thompson said they're still working on a name, a "feminine name."
"She's [goat] tried. This has been a lot for her as well. And we honestly don't know the trauma that happened to her prior," said Thompson.
The goat, however, will never have to worry about finding a home.
A fundraiser has been launched on GoFundMe to support Romack's recovery and Tiny Hooves.
