Family mourns death of pet emu corralled by deputies after escape

MESA, Ariz. — An Arizona family is mourning the death of their escaped pet emu, who died after sheriff’s deputies attempted to wrangle the animal.

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Stephanie Gibbons Moilans said that Richard, the family’s 6-year-old female emu, had escaped from the backyard of their Mesa home, possibly to avoid a coyote attack that had occurred in the past, KGUN-TV reported.

Moilans said she was not at home at the time because the roof of her residence had been damaged by a microburst, which are intense winds from rain clouds, according to the television station. When she returned, she realized that Richard was missing.

A neighbor contacted her and said they had spotted the animal on a security camera, according to KGUN.

“I was getting my shoes on, and within five minutes I got another call from the lady whose husband witnessed it all and got those videos, letting me know that the sheriff’s had killed Richard,” Molian told the news outlet. “So, there was not enough time, I feel like, even for them to have tried to look for the owner.”

Witnesses said the emu was “lassoed” by Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Sept. 28, according to KPNX-TV.

The sheriff’s office said that deputies attempted to seek assistance from the Arizona Department of Agriculture but were unsuccessful, KGUN reported.

“Deputies located the emu standing in the street and took a slip lead used on dogs to lead the animal to the patrol vehicle to remove it from the area,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Deputies tried to coax the emu into the back seat of the vehicle, but the emu would not move. While this was going on, the emu got onto its back and started kicking at the truck and the open door. While the emu was kicking, the lead got wrapped around one of its legs. Deputies released the lead to remove the lead from the emu’s leg and realized the emu had passed.”

Michael Davis, who said he witnessed the wrangling, told KPNX that the last time Richard escaped, deputies called the Department of Agriculture and officials put the bird in a horse trailer to be returned home, according to the television station.

“I don’t know why they didn’t do that this time,” Davis told KPNX. “I really don’t feel like the police were malicious toward the creature, they just were ill-equipped and unprepared and untrained in how to deal with this situation.”

Deputies said they were aware of the emu’s previous escapes and characterized Richard as an “aggressive bird” that had once allegedly kicked a member of the sheriff’s department in the leg.

Moilan disputed that claim.

“My dad requested an incident report from Maricopa County, and they replied back with an email saying there are no incident reports for Richard the emu,” Molian told KGUN. “Why are they lying? It’s so clear that they intervene in a situation.

“She’s super gentle and calm; she just walks; she doesn’t bother anyone. She’s super chill. They had no business intervening. If they had given me even 10 minutes, Richard would have just walked home.”

Moilan says the family plans on pressing charges against Maricopa County.

“I’m most disappointed in their dishonesty and their lack of compassion,” Moilan told KGUN. “They didn’t follow any policy or procedures that they have in place to help protect animals in Arizona.”