Goat gives birth in back of animal control truck

An animal control officer had to do a triple take after one goat turned into a trio of goats following a short transport in his animal control truck Wednesday afternoon.

According to John Welsh with Riverside County Animal Services, the officer knew the female goat was pregnant when he carefully loaded her into the back of his truck near the city of Perris, but he had no idea just how far along she was.

Riverside County Animal Control Officer Abel Buenrostro was transporting the goat to the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus; about a 25 minute drive. When he arrived, you can imagine his surprise to find a family of goats in the back of his truck.

“When I opened my truck compartment, she was such a sweetheart,” Buenrostro said. “You could almost see it in her face: I’ve got my babies.”

Veterinarians examined the momma goat and gave her a makeshift bed for her and the babies. They expected to move the family to the shelter’s shaded barn area Thursday morning.

The proud mother is a LaMancha dairy goat and Buenrostro suspects she likely got loose from her rightful owner’s property. He said her temperament was very gentile and doesn’t think she was just dumped somewhere.

Buenrostro has been an animal control officer for seven years. “That’s a first time for me a goat gave birth on my truck,” he said.

If the owner doesn’t show up for the goats, the mom and babies could be available for adoption after the county’s standard hold period, Welsh said in a release.