Officers respond to a goat and dog taking a stroll together on a Twin Cities highway

"Luckily, their owner reclaimed them," the Animal Humane Society said.

April 25, 2018 at 8:15PM
(Rachel Chazin — Minnesota State Patrol/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Two unlikely buddies were spotted taking a casual stroll together along Hwy. 61 near Hastings this weekend – a goat and a dog.

"This really happened," the Minnesota State Patrol said after posting photos of the cute duo on its Twitter account.

A motorist had picked up the pair initially. The State Patrol handed over the animals to Kathi Pelnar, an animal control officer for several Washington County municipalities.

Pelnar put the docile duo in her back seat. The goat didn't need a leash, Pelnar said, because it followed the dog willingly into the car.

Pelnar said she's picked up plenty of dogs before, along with sheep, goats and pigs, but never an interspecies bonded pair.

She dropped them off at the Woodbury Animal Humane Society, where they spent the night. She was hopeful for an outcome that would keep the pals together, she said.

Luckily, the dog was familiar to shelter staff, Pelnar said, and the animals' owner picked them up Sunday.

"They just wanted to go for a walkabout," Pelnar said. "It was nice weather."

about the writers

about the writers

Erin Adler

Reporter

Erin Adler is a suburban reporter covering Dakota and Scott counties for the Star Tribune, working breaking news shifts on Sundays. She previously spent three years covering K-12 education in the south metro and five months covering Carver County.

See More

Rachel Chazin

See More