Goats are not easy to look after. Just when you think you’ve figured out how to keep your goat under control, it does something else and you’re back to square one. 

That’s exactly what happened to one goat caretaker on Monday, February 12th. Just when they thought their goat was behaving, a local police department let the world know that she’d made her way to a Dollar General nearby:

In their update, the Hudson Falls Police Department said she’d made it home just fine. Did they let her keep whatever she picked up?

Related: Goat Brothers Cuddling in Contentment at Sanctuary Are Melting Hearts

The goat got out without her parents knowing, and as goats tend to do, wandered right off. If you know anything about Dollar Generals, they pop up just about everywhere, so it’s completely feasible that there was one close enough to her farm that she was just able to mosey on in. They even have automatic doors – no thumbs necessary!

It took about two hours for someone to claim this lady. I was hoping that someone would pop up in the comments and say, “this was my goat!” Unfortunately, no such luck, so we’ll never know whose it was or how she got out. Regardless, there was nothing in the post that indicated that she was being aggressive or even particularly destructive: she was just shopping. Goats have good manners!

What to Do if You See a Stray Goat

As the Facebook comments will show you, a lot of people’s first response to there being a goat loose anywhere is, “I would like to have that goat, please!” As tempting as that may be (for myself included), goats are a lot harder to wrangle, harder to care for, and less likely to be happy you’re “rescuing” them than a dog or a cat you find. You can’t just keep a goat in your house forever, and if you try, your furniture, floors, and other residents will probably never forgive you.

Don’t try to approach the goat, especially if it looks scared: they can hurt you by biting or charging at you. The typical goat weighs anywhere from 150-200 pounds or more, so if they knock you over, you’re going to get hurt. You can try to create a barricade around it to keep it contained, but if it’s outside, you’re better off keeping an eye on it and calling your local police department immediately.

Goats are very food-motivated. If you really want to try and keep it as close to you as possible until help arrives, offer it a snack! Goats love sweet things, fruits, and crunchy veggies. Maybe that’s what this gorgeous goat was trying to pick up?

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