JR Robertson’s animals are known around Vancouver’s Truman neighborhood. The 63-year-old lives on a 1-acre plot near state Highway 500 and Falk Road, and he said that a steady flow of pedestrians, bicyclists and children have been known to pay a visit to see his mules, goats, rabbits and turkeys.

So Robertson was upset on Monday morning when he woke up and found his three goats dead.

“My first thought was that they’d been poisoned,” he said.

Robertson had been out of town for about four days and left his animals in the care of a woman who regularly assumes the duties when he’s gone.

He talked to the woman, who said the goats were alive when she fed them at about 10 a.m. Sunday morning. Robertson investigated more closely and he found bullet holes in the goats’ heads.