Goat Herd Escapes Near Highway 101 Before Capture

Bay City News

Late this morning about 17 goats escaped from a designated grazing spot in San Francisco's Bayview neighborhood near U.S. Highway 101, a city Animal Care and Control captain said.

A call came in around 11:15 a.m. about goats on Bayshore Boulevard near Highway 101, ACC Capt. Denise BonGiovanni said.

An ACC officer arrived and discovered the goats were part of the City Grazing herd, who rents out small herds of goats to clear overgrown yards and fields of unwanted brush and weeds. They position themselves as an eco-friendly alternative to herbicides and other chemicals. The goats are also quite adept at taking care of steep hillsides and other hard-to-reach spots.

The goats had been grazing near Key Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard when they got through fencing that keeps the animals away from the highway, according to BonGiovanni.

One goat got onto northbound Highway 101, but avoided injury when traffic slowed and ACC officials were able to remove the goat from the roadway, she said.

Another 16 goats were found wandering in the neighborhood. ACC officers were able to contain the herd near Bayshore Boulevard and Wheat Street and the City Grazing herder was called to the scene.

San Francisco police were called to the area to block traffic, she said.

The goat herder arrived with a pickup truck to round up the goats, but while trying to load the goats they were spooked and almost escaped again, she said.

The ACC asked him to return with a trailer and the 17 goats were safely loaded and returned to their home on Cargo Way, she said.

"No humans or goats were injured today," she said.

KQED reported on the herd earlier this year.