Landscaping goats get loose in Oakmont

OAKMONT (KDKA) -- A woman walking her dog in Oakmont suddenly had some surprise guests. She found herself shepherding a herd of goats around the neighborhood. 

Oakmont is known for its world-famous golf course, but Monday morning, a group of gallivanting goats decided to make a getaway and galloped all over the neighborhood and people say it's not the first time.

Lori Stofman of Oakmont was out and about around 7 when Stofman and her pup were joined by new four-legged friends: a gang of goats on the lam.

"When they saw my puppy, they were infatuated by her and so they just kept following us through the neighborhood. We would go through the cul-de-sac and around the park," Stofman said. 

The goats were supposed to be on the job when they made their not-so-great escape. 

"They've been eating all the toxic and noxious vegetation that's growing along the riverbank," said Oakmont assistant borough manager Phyllis J. Anderson. 

"The river rose last night, and it knocked down their fence on the other side of this overlook," Anderson said.

Stofman says this isn't the first time the goats looked to have a snack outside their riverfront confines. 

"Actually a couple of times they showed up on my doorstep because their tent was right behind my house. When they climb on their tent, they can hop over the fence," Stofman said.

All in all, Stofman says the herd, headed up by a not so gruff billy goat named Mack, is docile. 

"They're pretty nice goats other than eating your foliage and your flowers and your trees and garbage and everything else -- they'll eat just about anything," Stofman. 

By the time she got home, Stofman gave the goats the slip. The herd was eventually wrangled by their owner and put back to dine on riverside weeds. 

"They've done a great job in the back of our house on the riverbanks," Stofman said.

If you see any goats running about, you're asked to call the Oakmont police.