Houston police officers removed goats, chickens and pigeons from a home Wednesday night after neighbors complained the animals were being killed, which the family admits but said that it was part of a religious sacrifice, authorities said.
The animals were taken at about 8:30 p.m. from the home, located in the 300 block of Coach Road in north Houston.
Houston Police Department investigators told News2Houston that officers rescued 11 goats, some chickens and pigeons, but that some animals had already been killed.
"In most animal cruelty cases, it's a simple animal cruelty case, (but) in this case there's a religious ceremony being practiced and because of freedom of religion we have to handle it a little differently," HPD Officer Terry Starkey said.
The family told police that they were practicing Santeria, which is an African-based religion similar to voodoo, originating in Cuba and Brazil, which combines the worship of traditional Yoruban deities with the worship of Roman Catholic saints.
During part of the religious ceremony, the animals are killed and their blood is offered as a sacrifice, authorities said, sometimes to ask for forgiveness or purification.
"They have a family member that is sick," Starkey said. "My understanding is that the ceremony was to ask their saints for that person's recovery."
Although authorities said that they cannot press criminal charges against the family, they said that they are taking what action they can.
"What we're going to do is seize the animals with the Houston SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), and a hearing will be set," said Harris County Precinct 1 Deputy Constable Cristine Kendrick. "The SPCA, as well as myself, and these people at this residence, will come to court and the judge will decide what the outcome will be for the animals."
"We will review their health (and) treat them for any conditions that exist" Houston SPCA spokeswoman Kim Hogstrom said. "At least one of them has some sort of eye problem and several of them are very thin."
SPCA officials said they are also investigating whether the family broke or violated any city codes, such as having so many animals at their home.