'His only mistake was wanting his crackers': Owner demands justice after emu viciously killed

Shannon McCarrell and McTavish. (Submitted)

A family is reeling after two people broke into an enclosure on their hobby farm south of Brantford, Ont., and killed one of their pet emus.

Two-year-old McTavish was one of five birds in the pen on Wednesday night. His owner, Shannon McCarrell, says her four emus and one ostrich were spending the night outside instead of in the barn for the first time in a while because of the warm weather.

“I was sleeping and my teenage son burst into my room and said ‘McTavish is dead,’” McCarrell said.

From his wounds, McCarrell believes someone hit McTavish over the head with a blade and then snapped his neck. She thinks he likely came to the edge of the enclosure thinking the intruders were bringing him treats – his favourites are Cheez-It crackers.

“Some people are going to say it’s just a bird, but they’re a part of my family,” McCarrell said.

“They didn’t deserve this and he deserves justice because he didn’t do anything wrong. His only mistake was wanting his crackers.”

Nothing was stolen, no other animals were injured, and the motive behind the crime remains unclear.

Shannon McCarrell has had McTavish since he was just a few days old. (Submitted)

McCarrell has always felt safe on the property, but that’s now changed.

“They were 100 yards from my husband and my children who were in the home,” she said. “So if they’re able to do something this vicious to an animal, it could have been my family too.”

McCarrell’s security camera captured two people outside the emu enclosure before McTavish was killed.

Ontario Provincial Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident, noting that causing unnecessary suffering to an animal is punishable with up to five years in jail.

McCarrell says McTavish and her other emus kept the family sane during the pandemic. (Submitted)

McCarrell is urging anyone with information to contact police.

“If anybody knows who did this, please come forward and give somebody some closure,” she pleaded.

In the meantime, she and her other birds, including McTavish’s mate Wallace, are trying to move forward without him.