Rachel, a pet goat belonging to Baker resident Susan Matuska, died Monday.

Matuska believes the death was a direct result of a late November sexual attack on the animal by a man.

“It was quite obvious. She was covered in blood,” Matuska said. “A veterinarian came out and found evidence of rape.”

It was not clear to the veterinarian what had been used to penetrate the 7-year-old animal.

Deputies were called to Matuska’s home on Dad’s Road near Baker, but the case has been closed.

A forensic test conducted by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement failed to locate semen “and there was no other evidence to support the claim” of rape, said Michele Nicholson, spokesperson for the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office.

The lab report came to the Sheriff’s Office in late January, Nicholson said. Matuska was informed Thursday of the negative test results.

Matuska said Rachel was one of eight goats she kept as pets.

“She was the craziest,” she said.

Since the attack Matuska has spent $4,000 to install a security system to protect the rest of her animals.

Humans having sex with animals is known as bestiality, or zoophilia. For some reason it seems goats are most often the target in Northwest Florida for these types of sexual attacks.

This week the newspaper in Caryville reported on Sharon Cruz-Pecina, who believes that at least three of her goats had been attacked “multiple times” and that the assaults are continuing on a regular basis.

Sex crimes against animals became illegal in Florida in 2007 after a 48-year-old man raped and killed a goat in Walton County's Mossy Head. The man was charged with animal theft and sentenced to 11 months and 29 days in jail.