'Just strolling along': B.C. man brings goats to run errands

A B.C. man who has two goats says he started taking "the girls" into town with him so they could get some fresh air and exercise when a wallop of winter weather hit the Okanagan.

The pair – named Lexus and Miata -- turned heads and made headlines while waiting for their owner outside of cafes in several Okanagan cities last month.

Greg Krauter brought the animals home last spring after deciding to get goats to help maintain his large, rural property in Summerland by munching on vegetation.

"I trained them to follow me. If I went to work in a certain part of the yard, they would follow me there and then they would do their grazing in that area," he told CTV News.

"If I worked in one area, they stayed within sight of me in that area. And that's how they learned to follow me, because every time I moved to another part, they'll follow me, follow me, follow me."

He says the breed, Miniature Silky Fainting Goats, are quite timid and prefer to keep their "alpha" within sight because it gives them a sense of safety.

"They're much more nervous than your average breed," Krauter said. "I built up trust with them."

This composite photo from Castanet.ca shows Greg Krauter's goats on the streets of cities in B.C.'s Okanagan.

When snow fell and temperatures plunged, Krauter said the goats were stuck inside. So he decided to train them to follow him to his truck and join him as he ran errands.

"I found they did the very same thing whether it was asphalt or grass," he said, adding the animals never walk in front of him and always stay at his heels.

"I would just take them to where I was going. If I went to get coffee, I'd take them along … Whenever I would go somewhere, I'd leave them outside the door.

Inevitably, when Krauter would come out of the café with a coffee for himself or cinnamon raisin bagels as a treat for the goats, a crowd would have gathered to take pictures and video of the well-behaved pair.

"I would meet people with dogs, and that dog that's meeting me is on a leash, he's tied to his owner. These two are walking with me with no leash, no nothing. And we're just strolling along," he said.

"I was just going about my daily thing with them, right? And next thing I know, it's in the news."

This photo submitted to CTV News shows one of Greg Krauter's goats on a street in Penticton.

Krauter got Lexus and Miata from GottaGoat farm near Penticton. The farm is one of only a few that raises registered Miniature Silky Fainting Goats.

The farm's website notes that there are a few characteristics that make the breed unique. One is the small size, with an average "Mini Silkie" standing less than 60 centimetres.

The other two are hinted at in their name, they have a long "silky" coat, and they have been bred to have the "fainting gene." The goats don’t actually lose consciousness or pass out, however, they have a hereditary condition that causes their muscles to suddenly stiffen up when they are surprised or frightened. This renders them unable to run away, and they can sometimes fall over.

Krauter plans to add two more of these goats to his small herd this spring.

Phot submitted by Greg Krauter.