Happy was a 12-year-old cow that lived at the French Creek Farms in East Vincent Township.
The family that runs the farm found Happy on Wednesday morning, lying beneath this cedar tree along the road, bloated and dead.
"I said 'wow, I can't believe it.' She was fine last night. We milked her. She wasn't sick. My husband and I, we went out there, and now she's dead," Holly Spollenberger said.
Police told Sollenberger that Happy was likely shot by a high-caliber handgun and died instantly.
Neighbors report hearing up to five gunshots, then laughter, then the screeching of tires at about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday.
"Just find whoever did that. I'm hoping that somebody knows somebody else or something that happened," Sollenberger said.
The animals are there for a farming purpose, of course, but the owners look at them as something so much more almost as if they are pets.
One cow is named Hello. Happy was Hello's mother.
And in addition to the loss of a beloved pet, Sollenberger also says the cow killing has changed her feeling of security.
"It's terrible. Here I'm safe, I don't feel safe anymore," Sollenberger said.
Police say the shooter could face animal cruelty charges and weapons violations. What's more, Happy was pregnant at the time.
Making the loss even greater for a farm that relies on bringing in new cows for milk, revenue and survival.
