Goats tackle baa-d overgrowth in Shaler with such gusto, township is considering having them back in spring

When Shaler’s wooded recreational areas became overrun by invasive Japanese knotwood, authorities did the only thing they could do: They brought in some goats.

After exploring chemical use and landscapers, township officials felt it was best to bring in two groups of hungry goats, dubbing them “seasonal employees.”

The teams are made up of eight to 10 goats in each crew. Their mission is to eat — and keep eating — the vegetation at the overgrown locations.

Japanese knotwood, with its bamboo-like stems, grows rapidly and overtakes native plants.

Luckily, goats eat just about anything under the sun, including unwanted invasive plants and even poison ivy, and can handle treacherous terrain.

“We placed the goats at Eagle Canyon Trail. They were at retention ponds (along) Sutter Road and behind Teakwood Drive. The goats were at these locations for about two weeks. As of Friday (Sept. 5), we have a herd at the Eagle Canyon Trail at Fawcett Fields and at a retention pond off Ridgeview Circle,” said township Manager Judith Kording.

The township has used regular landscapers in the past, but after speaking with their insurance company and neighboring communities “such as Oakmont, who recently used the goats,” the decision was easy, Kording said.

“We hired Capricious LLC,” she said. “They came highly recommended.”

Capricious LLC, owned by McCandless couple Monica and Timothy Shields, rents out teams of goats known as “chew crews.” The chew crews are deployed to rough terrain or areas that would be especially difficult for humans to maintain.

Despite the efficiency of the chew crews, some residents didn’t take the goats seriously at first or simply found humor in their presence, especially on social media.

Rita Stiller of Shaler joked on Facebook that she doesn’t need goats, she’s got plenty of deer to do the job. Other residents offered their backyards for dessert.

The township even headlined its post with “You’ve go(a)t to be kid-ding us.”

No matter how much amusement the goats have drawn, there’s no doubt about their effectiveness.

“The goats have been a huge success, not only by addressing the undergrowth but they have brought a steady stream of visitors,” Kording said.

The routine of the goats attracting visitors day after day did not begin in Shaler. Everywhere the “chew crew” goes, people flock to them in fascination and curiosity. It’s becoming so popular that the goats have names and personalities that can be viewed on the Capricious website.

“When we drop the goats off in a location, they stay there overnight for however long the job takes. This is why it’s easy for so many people to see them,” said Monica Shields, CEO of Capricious LLC.

Capricious LLC was created out of a personal need that the Shields family endured.

“We own a 62-acre piece of property with an incredible amount of underbrush that was destroying the habitat. We decided to buy a couple of goats, and they did such a good job, we began loaning them out to people and finally it turned into a business,” Shields said.

Now, the goats are continuing to grow in popularity as more municipalities are hopping on the goat train.

Shaler already has said it would like to use the goats again in the spring, but Kording has some advice for visitors.

“Don’t take animal crackers,” she said.

Apparently, the goats love the treat, and Kording found out the hard way.

She was visiting the goats and thought she might need to move them for another purpose, so she pulled out a package of animal crackers to entice them.

Much to her surprise, she was mobbed by the goats as soon as the package opened, and the crackers spilled to the ground.

Her experience serves as a warning.

People are reminded to respect the animals’ space and to observe them from a distance. Among the rules are no feeding, no petting, no touching the fencing and no entering the fenced area.

Cameras have been set up to protect the animals.