Three escaped goats that have been on the run for months in Clinton, have been caught and returned to their owner, officials said.
For around three months, three females goats have been evading capture in the town, while amassing a cult following and entertaining motorists traveling on southbound Interstate 95 near Exit 63. The goats, which took on a local celebrity status, even got their own Facebook page where people could post their own photos of them.
The “Clinton Roaming Goats” Facebook page has over 1,000 followers with logos, merchandise, and T-shirt designs. Some even began calling them Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche after the characters on the 1980s sitcom “The Golden Girls.” One Facebook user referred to them as “The Golden Goats.”
But on Friday a team of animal control officers from three different towns managed to return all of them back to their owner.
Clinton animal control officer, Ryan Sheehan, in coordination with the Durham Animal Response Team, Madison Animal Control, and the Westbrook/Essex/Deep River Regional Animal Control, said they successfully captured and returned the small herd of three goats that had been roaming in the area of Nod Road for months.
The goats were safely trapped and transported back to the local goat farm from which they had originally come.The animals were brought into town in July by owners of a hobby farm on Old Nod Road “to clear brush,” said Sheehan. The 27-acre property is home to another goat, a horse and chickens.
After the goats’ initial escape, it became clear that a simple capture attempt would not be effective, he said.
“A coordinated plan was developed to feed the goats in a designated location at consistent times in order to acclimate them to the area. Trail cameras were used to monitor their behavior and overall health. Once the goats became accustomed to the feeding schedule, DART and Clinton Animal Control erected a temporary corral at the feeding site. The corral was gradually modified over time and ultimately used to safely contain and capture the goats,” Sheehan said.
All three goats were trapped together, loaded into a livestock trailer, and transported back to their home, he said. All three goats appeared to be in good health at the time of capture.
“The Clinton Police Department extends its appreciation to DART, Madison Animal Control, and the Westbrook/Essex/Deep River Regional Animal Control for their assistance and coordination in ensuring the safe recovery of the animals, as well as to the many concerned citizens who contacted authorities about the roaming goats and expressed concern for their safety,” according to a press release.
But now that the goats have been captured, some Facebook fans are left wondering what comes next for the famous trio.
“Maybe the owners can post about the goats on this page so we all can enjoy their homecoming with them and their goat life,” one Facebook user wrote on their fan page.
Others also said they would like to receive updates to the Facebook page. Users commented on the news of their capture as far away as Pakistan and Europe, showing the growing celebrity status of the viral goats around the world.
“Thanks for the memories, ladies. I too would like to hear an occasional update about them. Like if they ever become mommies,” one Facebook user said.
Stephen Underwood can be reached at sunderwood@courant.com
