Suffolk Police Equipped With Tranquilizers For Barney, The Bull

MASTIC, NY — Barney, the Mastic bull, could be making his last stand soon, kind of.

Suffolk County police’s Emergency Services Unit officers have been equipped with tranquilizer serum that can be used to stop the wayward bovine, who has evaded law enforcement and local rescue groups for 10 days now after escaping from slaughter at a Manorville farm, according to Suffolk’s Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Chief Roy Gross.

Once the animal is recovered, rescuers plan to transport him to his new home at Skylands Animal Sanctuary and Rescue in New Jersey where there are 90 other bovines.

The area around Barnes Road, near where the bull escaped on July 20, has been saturated with flyers instructing residents to immediately call 911 and report sightings and take a photo, if possible.

"We are still asking residents to stand down and not approach it," Gross said.

The police officers have been equipped with the serum by the SPCA's veterinarian, Dr. Dennis Dougherty, a former cowboy who has a practice in Bay Shore, he said.

"Certainly they can get there a lot quicker and can be more effective," Gross added.

The rescue efforts have been undertaken with the help of about five different groups that are keeping watch during shifts. So far, the groups have tried wrangling and luring him with a ladyfriend in heat, baiting him with sweet feed, and laying down cow manure to make the animal feel more comfortable in his surroundings.

None of the ploys have worked, so it has become a waiting game as rescuers try to capture him.

Gross said rescuers are making a diligent effort and he is confident that they will be able to capture the bull and bring him over to his “forever home in New Jersey.”