A woman drove through the streets of Hamilton dragging a goat from the back of her car, unaware it had been tied to the vehicle.
Police said that witnesses reported seeing the animal being dragged about midday yesterday.
Senior Sergeant Pete Simpson said that once the driver realised what had happened, she stopped her car.
"It was an unfortunate occurrence where a pet was dragged through the streets unknowingly," he said.
"It was a mistake by the owners and we're not prosecuting anyone."
The driver, one of the pet's owner, was "very upset" after the incident, Simpson said.
It was not known how long the woman had been driving with the goat.
The goat had to be put down.