2nd runaway sheep found safe, reunited with previously rescued animal on the lam

Storm and Baby are reunited.

The runaway sheep from Plum spent three weeks on the lam, creating social media buzz with sightings from Lower Burrell to Tarentum.

“It’s been a nightmare,” owner Rick Borowski said.

Storm, a 180-pound black-and-white male sheep, was captured Monday in Brackenridge Memorial Park with help from Eureka Fire-Rescue Capt. Susan Clark, Tarentum police and public works, and Pioneer Hose personnel.

Baby, his female counterpart, was rescued early Wednesday at Hill Crest Country Club in Lower Burrell.

The animals wandered a dozen miles from home, with many stops documented on Facebook. Still, they managed to elude capture for weeks.

As early as Monday morning, someone posted to the Facebook group “Don’t Wait on 28” that “If anyone is missing a goat, it is chilling on the off-ramp of Route 28 at the Tarentum exit.” Although odd-looking for the species, Storm is a sheep, not a goat.

Storm appeared to make somewhat more of his time out than Baby.

He was spotted cruising the streets near Belair Nursing Home in Lower Burrell and then roaming parks and highways in Tarentum. Somehow, no one knows for sure, Storm made it across the Allegheny River.

Emergency workers were called to the shoreline in Brackenridge early Monday for a sighting.

“Storm had made his way down off First Avenue by Morgan Street and into the brush,” Clark said.

“He was obviously exhausted. He’s had quite an adventure.”

Volunteers goaded the sheep onto Pioneer’s rescue boat, which Clark said was easier than persuading him up the hillside.

The capture went without incident.

“Yes, this is the little sheep that everyone’s been taking pictures of, and he is back with his owner,” Clark said.

The animals got loose after a neighbor’s dog ran into their enclosure and started nipping at a goat and sheep, officials said.

They believed Baby was hiding out in the woods near Braeburn in Lower Burrell for several days. It’s about a 4-mile walk to Hill Crest.

Tarentum Manager Dwight Boddorf posted to Facebook about the rescue mission, saying people were concerned for the animals’ safety and for that of motorists since Storm was seen near Route 28.

“Local police, public works and firefighters swiftly coordinated a rescue effort, guiding the woolly wanderer back to safety before any harm could occur to it or anyone else,” Boddorf said.

The “lighthearted yet urgent situation” highlighted the dedication of emergency workers, he said.

“Whether rescuing animals or responding to emergencies, our first responders never shy away from even the most unexpected challenges,” Boddorf said.