Grand Barr Dairy Owners Indicted On Nearly 500 Felony Counts of Animal Neglect: PETA Statement

For Immediate Release:
February 27, 2026

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Yesterday, the operators of Grand Barr Dairy near Nyssa, Taunia Barr and Aaron Barr, were indicted by a Malheur County grand jury on a total of 478 charges of felony animal neglect—each punishable by up to five years in jail and a $125,000 fine. The charges, in addition to 14 misdemeanors, stem in part from two PETA undercover investigations revealing goats at the farm left to suffer from burst abscesses, overgrown hooves, stomach ailments, and lameness so severe and painful that they were forced to walk on their knees or limp, and other debilitating ailments, as well as dead goats left to rot. PETA’s investigations prompted law enforcement officials to seize nearly 240 goats from Grand Barr Dairy on February 4—three of whom had to be euthanized due to their severe condition.

Please see the following statement from PETA Vice President Daniel Paden:

Taunia and Aaron Barr now face the prospect of trial for denying veterinary care to goats suffering from emaciation, lameness, and lice and maggot infestations, and PETA hopes any conviction will include a lifetime ban on owning animals so that no other animals suffer at their hands again. PETA thanks the Oregon Department of Justice for stepping in to pursue help for these goats, and reminds all who are horrified by the suffering at this dairy that they can spare animals from abuse by choosing to go vegan.

PETA is calling on Malheur County Sheriff Travis Johnson—who elected to send approximately 210 of the surviving goats seized from Grand Barr Dairy to a large-scale dairy—to accept PETA’s and sanctuaries’ offers to place goats and give them the lifelong care and respect they deserve.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to eat”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. PETA’s free vegan starter kit is filled with tips to help anyone looking to make the switch. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.