Recently, we put out a call for exotic pets, and the response has been great. Reader Jessica Abbate sent us in some picture of her cool pets. Jessica writes:
I have a whole herd of interesting pets. I own packgoats. What is a packgoat, you ask? Basically a packgoat is a dairy-type goat that is trained to wear a saddle to carry camping gear, food water, emergency supplies or what ever else you can fit into their packs.
My goats visit schools, nursing homes and lots of agricultural fairs and markets to show off their amazing ability. I can go into the woods with my goats for weeks and never have to carry anything. My goats are well behaved (sometimes they listen better than my dog) and are just neat to look at all saddled up. They are a big hit on the trails.
Goat packing is a growing sport. On the Pacific Coast, there are hundreds of hikers whose companion of choice is a goat. I am the only packgoat owner in New England. This is mainly due to the intense amount of training that is necessary with packgoats. I have persevered and have 6 wonderful goats to show for it.
