Man gored to death by bull
900-pound Jersey ends up at Texas packing plant

By KRISTY HEMMINGSEN | East Texas Edition

August 28, 2003 -- A 900-pound Jersey bull which gored its owner in Louisiana to death earlier this month has ended up at an East Texas packing house.

According to a new release from the Caddo Parish Sheriff's office, Albert Lee Snead, 57, was found by a family member on Aug. 14 just outside his pasture in north Shreveport. Snead had gone to the pasture behind his house to check on the bull, and the fencing around the pasture, but hadn't been heard from in some time.

A spokesperson from the Caddo Parish, La., sheriff's office noted there were no witnesses to the incident. Family members said when Snead did not return home, his son went to check on him, and discovered the body which was near the fence line. Tools were present as though he may have been working on the fence when he was attacked by the bull.

Deputies received a 9-1-1 call around 6 p.m. on Aug. 14. Snead was pronounced dead at the scene.

Family members told deputies the bull was just over 2-years-old, and had horns. Snead had raised it from a calf. Recently the bull had been getting more aggressive, ducking its head and pawing the ground, but it had never attacked before.

The bull was taken by the sheriff office's livestock patrol to a holding pen in north Caddo Parish.

Arrangements were made to slaughter the bull. A spokesperson for Mineola (Texas) Packing confirmed they had received the bull on Aug. 21, and the bull was slaughtered on Aug. 22.

Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator commented on the situation. "This was a very sad case. It reminds us all to be careful around large animals.

A cattle owner, the sheriff added, "Bulls are instinct driven" and the family had noted Snead would not have done anything to provoke the bull.

Dr. Jason Cleere, an Extension beef cattle specialist at Overton, stressed it is important for all livestock owners to be cautious around animals. "Be mostly aware of large animals, especially large bulls," he said. "They are testosterone driven and can be unexpectedly aggressive. Jersey bulls in particular are one of the most aggressive bull breeds."

The specialist also urged cattle owners to dehorn, or at least "tip" the horns, as a precaution measure.

Most importantly, he said one can "never trust, even a hand-fed, hand-raised bull."