UPDATE: He got his goat: One less wayward critter on the streets of Hardin today

HARDIN – A missing Saanen dairy goat from Carlinville was recovered Monday night from Hardin.

The goat escaped her enclosure at the Calhoun County Fair on Sept. 8 and as many as 25 people chased her around a barn in an attempt to catch her. Her owner, David Shelton of Carlinville, allowed his grandchildren to show his goats at the Calhoun Fair. He said she left the barn area after being chased and crossed the highway, before bounding up a hill and getting tangled in the undergrowth. She had been spotted across Hardin since that daring escape and was most recently spotted Sunday evening near Hurley Dodge.

Calhoun County Chief Deputy Kyle Jacobs said the goat was “skittish” around people, but said she had plenty of grass to eat and water to drink. He was worried, however, that she could be struck by a vehicle.

Those worries were put to rest Monday evening when Shelton put his plan to retrieve his lost goat into action. He brought a trailer of his other goats to Hardin from Carlinville, and their bleeting convinced the wayward goat to come down from the hills of Calhoun and rejoin her herd.

In previous interviews with Riverbender.com, Shelton said the goat was not exactly a pet goat, but was still acclimated to humans enough that he was confident she would return.

According to a Facebook post from the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office just after 8:30 p.m. Monday, his confidence was well-placed.

“The owner came to Hardin earlier that evening and he really got his goat,” Jacobs typed onto the Facebook post.

Jacobs was in court when Riverbender.com attempted to contact him Tuesday morning to confirm that social media post, but a dispatcher for the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office said: “as far as she knew, the goat was safe at home.”

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