Megan Cloherty, wtop.com
WASHINGTON – Rescuing farm animals is not normally in a day’s work for Prince George’s County firefighters, but a call of kids running into oncoming traffic near Upper Marlboro Friday required an emergency response.
Two young pygmy goats were wandering in the road in front of Frederick Douglas High School in Croom, Md, according to Mark Brady, spokesperson for Prince George’s County Fire.
Witnesses told firefighters that vehicles were swerving to avoid hitting the goats. When firefighters arrived, some drivers had left their cars, attempting to catch the goats in between breaks in on-coming traffic, Brady said in a release.
“There were several attempts to capture the small goats, as they kept running in fear from the crew members. One goat was caught and placed in the bed of [truck],” said Lieutenant Lisa Viars who led the emergency response.
Croom Road was shut down to traffic while the crew corralled the goats.
“In the meantime, the first goat daringly leapt from the utility truck, crying (bahhing) for its sibling. A road/landscaping crew working on the shoulder at Frederick Douglas High School joined in the rescue attempt at this time. Each time the crew would get close enough to pick them up, the goats were off and running,” Viars said.
“After several attempts of crawling under vehicles and apparatus, and chasing the young goats through the weeds and trees, the crew members, with the help of the citizens and road crew, managed to herd the goats into a small area and be captured,” Viars said.
Viar’s family plans to keep the goats until their owners are found. One of the goats has a sticker with the number “574” on its head. The crew members named the other goat “845” after the fire station.
Anyone with information about the ownership of the pygmy goats should contact the Croom Fire/MS Station at 301-883-7745.
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