by Betsy Bramlett
posted November 16, 2008
) Photo by Betsy Bramlett A herd of kudzu-chomping goats got loose Sunday on Missionary Ridge and, along with their guard dogs, pranced down as far as Brainerd Road. |
Answer: Cheetos.
Yes, Cheetos, that cheesy snack food that leaves your fingers all stained orange.
That’s what Chattanooga Police Officer Scott Lee decided would do the trick after he responded to a call about goats that apparently decided that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence and found a hole to get out and see for themselves. The four-footed fugitives were first spotted on Rosemont Drive and then eventually made their way down to Brainerd Road.
“I’ve had goats, and I just started looking up in the brush for something that might get their attention, and I found a bag of Cheetos.” he said.
Like the legendary Pied Piper who got the rats out of Hamelin, Officer Lee did get their attention and led the goats back into their enclosure, where they were promptly impounded along with the two Great Pyrenees dogs there for their protection.
He was assisted in the herding by an unidentified gentleman dressed in coat and tie, and Jerry Jeansonne, the self-described “Goat Dude” of the Chattanooga Public Works Department.
The owner of the goats is Stephen Surowitz of Natural Land Clearing, Inc. He lives about a two-hour drive from Chattanooga, and after being informed of the break-out he and his wife changed from church clothes to work clothes to come get the goats back where they needed to be and secure them. Upon their arrival, they said they were happy that the goats and dogs were already safe and sound, but they leveled their frustration toward the City of Chattanooga for what they say may have caused the problem in the first place.
“We have pleaded, begged with them to clear the brush and trees on the north side of the tunnel, so that we could put our fencing in. We put the goats in a temporary enclosure, figuring that the kudzu would be adequate until we could open up the whole area. Then they said leaf pick-up was more important, Mr. Surowitz said. “In the meantime, they (the goats) ate more than we figured over the weekend, and they just went looking for food.”
“That’s correct,” Mr. Jeaansonne said, concerning the work on the clearance, citing “manpower shortage, budget, etc.”
He said that he would be talking to his administrator Lee Norris on Monday to see what could be done, but that “if the answer is no, then maybe the goats need to be taken out until next spring."
“He (Surowitz) has a contract, and maybe he needs to hire any help like the city would do to clear the fence line.”
As for the goats’ great escape, Mr. Surowitz said he believes the electric fencing was tampered with by people trying to steal wiring and that it could be the reason why the goats were able to get out of their temporary quarters.
Late Sunday afternoon, the Surowitzes were taking down fencing along Rosemont to enlarge their enclosures to give the goats more kudzu to keep them well-fed and not as inclined to seek greener pastures.
“These goats are part of our family, and we’re going to take care of them,” he said. “If this doesn’t work out, we’ll just take them back home with us.”
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