UDAF reports 3 head of cattle stolen from Heber City Area; increasing trend of livestock missing in Utah

cows at farm Photo: Photo by Annie Spratt

HEBER CITY, Utah — Three head of cattle were taken from near Heber City in Wasatch County according to the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF). The UDAF has received reports of a large number of missing and harmed livestock in Utah in 2022.This trend has been increasing over the past few years and was first noticed in 2020 by the UDAF. Based on historical trends, they expect an increase in incidents this upcoming fall.

As of July, there have been missing livestock reports of 77 cattle, five horses, and one sheep. Only seven of the 83 reported animals have been found, and there have also been several suspicious livestock deaths under investigation.

Wasatch county is just one of the many counties affected, with 3 head of cattle missing. Sevier, Uintah, Tooele, Box Elder, Duchesne, Wasatch, Weber, and Sanpete Counties have all reported at least one case.

“Our department has been investigating a substantial amount of cases of missing livestock and suspicious livestock deaths this year,” said Leann Hunting, UDAF animal industry director, in a statement. “While we don’t know the exact cause of the increase in cases, it is very concerning, and we want to raise awareness of these happenings.”

UDAF is encouraging livestock producers to be vigilant and monitor their heads closely and report any missing or harmed livestock to the local UDAF inspector. More incidents are expected to happen this upcoming fall.

There is a $20,000 reward being offered for any information that leads to an arrest and conviction involving theft, mutilation, or malicious killing of livestock. The UDAF livestock investigator can be contacted at 435-419-0021.