CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Mathis students arrived at their ag barn to discover that several of the animals, they'd been raising were dead.
Beverely Deleon, said it was her son’s 3rd year in FFA, and luckily his show pig was one of the ones that survived. However, as part of the FFA family she is at a loss for the those who weren’t so fortunate.
"You know seeing these kids crying. the ones that were there already... some of them had no idea. I called some of the parents we knew. they were getting there and just broke down it was such an ugly scene," Deleon said.
Mary Lou Rodriguez 's sisters beloved lamb Wendal was found alive at the barn but in critical condition.
Rodriguez said the animals who were still alive were taken to a veterinarian.
"The x rays showed his skull was fractured and he was suffering. they gave us the decision we can keep him alive or put him down. but because he was suffering, we wouldn’t allow that we had to put him down,” Rodriguez said.
Both Deleon and Rodriguez said they want answers as to what happened to the livestock animals.
"Early in the morning going to school to feed them, after school staying late, on the weekends to work with them to get them the feed they buy for them, it’s something they put their heart into and for something like this to happen its heartbreaking," Rodriguez said.
Deleon acknowledges the effort and dedication the students put in to raising the animals.
"These kids care for these animals’ day and night," Deleon said.
Police Chief Scott Roush said initially the veterinarian said the lamb might have been struck by lightning.
However, parents have reason to believe these animals died at the hands of someone else.
"Animals were not in their right pen, there was goats with other goats. pigs with another pig. another pig behind the barn. these are baby pigs, someone had to do this. someone did this."
Mathis ISD Superintendent, Benny Hernandez released a statement this afternoon that said this is an unfortunate loss for the district because of the great resource they were for the students.
Hernandez says the district is investigating to find the cause of death for these animals but shut down rumors of any poisoning taking place.