Meet the fashion show GOATs
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BRIGHTON, Colo. — Nigerian Dwarf rescue goats, dressed in vibrant colors, strutted around a pen at the Fall Shindig at Sonflower Ranch.
“Dressing up the goats was pretty fun. They like color,” said Joy Sousa, who volunteers with Goat Walkabouts. “They like the attention they get, but they like their food more. So if you have treats, they let you dress them up a little bit more and then they’ll go over and show themselves off to the people on the side.”
Goat Walkabouts is a nonprofit that rescues goats from auctions and provides therapeutic experiences for people. Occasionally, they bring out the goats to events and dress them up in costumes and call it a pageant.
Their main mission involves its couple dozen rescue goats visiting assisted-living and memory-care facilities, as well as community events, to bring comfort and connection to individuals with Alzheimer’s, dementia, Down syndrome, PTSD, and other challenges.
Research suggests that animal therapy can help reduce stress, ease anxiety and strengthen emotional and social well-being for individuals with disabilities and the elderly.
“It’s a really cool experience to see just how these seniors come alive with the goats and remember stories from their past and are generally more engaged than they usually would be,” Stephanie Allan, volunteer coordinator for Goat Walkabouts, said.
The organization launched a new project, Colorado Goatscaping, which focuses on helping to mitigate wildfires. The initiative offers a natural vegetation-removal service by combining traditional hand tools, such as scythes, yo-yos, and sickles, with the natural grazing habits of goats to clear brush, weeds, and dry grass from fire-prone areas. By keeping overgrowth in check, the goats help create natural firebreaks and make the land safer for nearby communities.
Video: Priya Shahi, Rocky Mountain PBS
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. To read more about why you can trust the journalism of Rocky Mountain PBS, please visit our editorial standards and practices page.