Bulls escaped from rodeo at Massachusetts mall because of loose fence pin
NORTH ATTLEBORO - Investigators say a loose pin in a fence allowed a herd of bulls to break free from a rodeo in North Attleboro, Massachusetts Sunday.
Seven bulls escaped from the event at the Emerald Square Mall after a pin came loose in the fencing surrounding their pen, the town said. A state lawmaker is now looking at whether the rodeos need more regulations.
North Attleboro planning leaders grilled the rodeo owners for some explanation at a meeting on Tuesday.
"I will tell you that I was not pleased when I arrived on the scene," North Attleboro Fire Chief Chris Coleman said.
The runaway bulls caused a logistical nightmare. The fire department initially reported that eight bulls had run away, but that number was revised to seven Tuesday.
Six of the bulls were captured within hours about three miles away in an Attleboro neighborhood. The final bull was captured Monday night on Route 1 near the mall after a chase.
"The bull was walking up Route 1, as you saw last night across Route 1, heavy traffic," Coleman said. "It was only by the grace of God that no accidents occurred (Monday) night, and nobody got seriously injured."
Not only were neighbors at risk for more than 30 hours that last bull was on the loose through backyards and parking lots, but lifesaving emergency resources were tied up.
"That one ambulance could not respond to a medical emergency within the town," Coleman said.
How the bulls escaped North Attleboro rodeo
The Gonzalez family, local to the area, said they've done a hundred shows in cities along the East Coast and says nothing like this has ever happened. They explained one bull bumped another into the fencing, and a pin popped loose from where the steel panels connect.
The bulls pushed down the fence with the dislodged pin, escaped from their pen into the event space, knocked down a perimeter fence, and fled from the parking lot.
"They each weigh more than probably 200 pounds. You have to have four people to be able to carry one of them," said rodeo worker Anthony Gonzalez.
Lawmaker considers filing a bill
From now on, they'll bolt and chain those fencing panels. Meanwhile the town's state representative is already researching how other states oversee rodeos, as he considers filing a bill.
"It's a warning and a sort of reflection point of what we can do in the future to prevent this from happening by talking about different regulations," said state Rep. Adam Scanlan.
Despite how the event spiraled out of control, the fire chief did express his appreciation to the rodeo owners for their extensive efforts to locate the bulls, their concern for the animals' safety, and how quickly they secured and shut down the event Sunday once it switched from show to scene.