Look: 15 goats flee work site, scatter in Massachusetts town

Aug. 1 (UPI) -- A group of 15 goats employed to remove poison ivy and brush from a Massachusetts property were chased away by dogs and ended up scattering throughout the town of Lynnfield.

Goats to Go, a Georgetown-based goat landscaping business, said the herd was clearing the unwanted plants from a property on Bluejay Road on Tuesday when the goats scattered, likely as a result of a confrontation with local dogs.

"Goats are herd animals so they all stay together," Goats to Go co-owner Michelle Aulson told Boston.com. "We know they were chased because they were in three different groups, not all together."

The Lynnwood Police Department said five of the hoofed fugitives were spotted on Tedford Lane and an officer was "was able to establish himself as the alpha and lead the goats to safety."

"Those goats are really friendly, so they walked back to the location with the police officers, and they were able to contain them," Aulson said.

Another eight goats were rounded up and returned to the farm Wednesday morning, leaving only two animals, named Happy and Finny, on the lam.

Happy was captured later in the day.

"Just as we were losing hope of catching the last goat before dark, a neighbor drove into their driveway and her garage at the exact moment our goat, Finny, rounded from the backyard to the front," Goats to Go said in a Facebook post. "The garage door closed at the perfect time, capturing him inside."

All 15 goats were safely returned to the farm.

"The end thing here that we're all happy about is just the safety and health of the goats," Aulson said. "What animals love to do is eat vegetation and enjoy life, so our goats will continue to do that and provide a natural way of getting rid of poison ivy."