If a border collie has a resume, it wouldn’t be such a surprise to see that herding is among their top skills. Herding is part of who they are, and the majority of them are employed to do this task. So if for some reason, 250 goats show up in your neighborhood, wreaking havoc and eating all the plants, you know who to call for help.
This quiet suburban neighborhood in Issaquah, Washington surely did, and boy did they need the border collie’s help. So one may ask, where did these 250 goats come from? Well, they were actually invited by the residents to clear up the excess vegetation in the community.
The goats belong to Healing Hooves Natural Vegetation Management. This company brings the goats to eat excess weed and plant overgrowth to different locations. It benefits both parties, as the goats get to eat the vegetation and the area gets a nice trim.
However, after the goats had been corralled into a holding area, they managed to get out. So what ensued was the chaotic scene of hundreds of goats running around the neighborhood, eating more plants and grass than what was offered to them. The area was about to get cleaned out, but luckily, they knew exactly who can help them.
They asked for the help of Craig Madsen, who is a shepherd and along with his trusty partner, Nessie, they came to the community’s aid. The duo worked tirelessly to get the goats back to their pen. As you can imagine, herding 250 goats going on a rampage is no easy task.
They did their thing to gather every goat until 9 o’clock in the evening, and they surely got their work cut out for them. The residents were thankful for their service, and despite the chaos, they called the incident a “delightful disruption.” That’s the kind of positivity that could go a long way.
Credits: Mark Svendsen
