Page 10 Berthoud Weekly Surveyor June 18, 2015

Special to the Surveyor

Loveland resident Pam Howard announced her can-didacy to seek election for the Thompson School District Board of Education seat in District D.

Every child in Loveland, Berthoud and Fort Collins is unique and deserves an outstanding education. Thompson parents and teachers know students best; board poli-cies and programs should reflect their ideals. My track record proves my commitment to Thompson students. I want to continue my work in the board room on behalf of students, to provide them the best opportunities possible, Howard said.

Loveland resident Denise Montagu announced her candidacy to seek re-election for the Thompson School District Board of Education seat in District C.

I have worked hard on the school board for almost four years, and I am ready to lead our district for another term to ensure an excellent education for our students in Thompson, Montagu said.

Loveland resident Jeff Swanty has announced his can-didacy to seek election on the Thompson School District Board of Education seat in District A.

Swanty previously served on the board from 2003-2006. Swanty is a business owner in Loveland and currently serves on the boards of the Loveland Fire Rescue Authori-ty and the Rural Fire Protection District. He is also on the Governors 8th Judicial District nominating commission.

Four current board members terms expire in No-vember 2015: Donna Rice, District A, Denise Montagu, District C, Pam Howard, District D and Bob Kerrigan, District G.

By Heidi Kerr-SchlaeferThe Surveyor

When you think of pets, its likely cats and dogs come to mind. Some of you may also include horses on that list, but the newest trend in American pet ownership is goats. Yes, goats. Those big-eye, big-horned creatures that you probably associate mostly with cheese or meat.

The domesticated goat has been around for a long time. In fact, ac-cording to Wikipedia, it is the oldest domesticated species of animal and has been used for milk, meat, hair and skins in nearly every corner of the world. There are more than 300 distinct breeds of goats, and in 2011 data from the UN Food and Agricul-ture Organization estimated there were 924 million live goats around the globe.

For many years now, in parts of Colorado, large herds of goats are raised for meat. In pockets of our state goats are raised for milk to make cheese for places like Haystack Mountain Goat Cheese in Longmont.

In 2010 a 22-year-old from North Carolina developed the rent-a-goat concept. Matthew Richmonds grand idea was to use herds of goats as lawn mowers, and since then goats have replaced traditional machinery or pesticides in some areas of the coun-try. From backyards in San Francisco to the state highways of Maryland, goat herds are grazing grass as an al-ternative to hiring lawn maintenance

crews.Even Amazon.com has gotten into

the goat craze. According to an article in USA Today in late March of this year, you can buy a sink on Amazon and hire someone to come and install it. Or a goat herder to tend to your flock. You can even rent a live goat through Amazon. A writer for Busi-ness Insider wrote of Amazons new rent-a-goat option, I think Amazon may have finally jumped the shark.

Amazons goat-grazing services are only available in limited areas, but it really does exist under the Home Services section of the website.

While some people use goats as eco-friendly lawn mowers or utilize them for milk or meat, other people simply love them. These extremely intelligent creatures are often com-pared to dogs, but they are not dogs. While hardy, goats are subject to a number of diseases and do require routine vet care. Life expectancy is between 15 and 18 years, so a goat is not a short-term commitment either.

For those considering adding a goat to their family, I suggest some research first. Talk to goat owners about their experiences. Goats are not indoor animals, so they will need some sort of outdoor, all-weather en-closure. And people should never get only one. Goats are herd animals and need other goat companions.

Kerri Ertman of Loveland has owned her two goats, Bambi and Booker, for three years. She got them

from the Loveland-based Conradson Goat Farm where she sometimes serves as a goat delivery nurse in the spring.

I got goats because I love their personalities and I wanted a barn-yard pet, said Ertman. But people need to remember that they are a herd animal, so you need to get your goat a buddy.

And for those whod like to experi-ence goats without the commitment, or would like to learn a little about goat care, check out the Mountain Goat Lodge in Salida. This bed and breakfast is located on a goat farm, and owner Gina Marcell is a wealth of knowledge about goats. She ran a goat rescue in Washington state be-fore relocating with her herd of goats to Colorado in 2010. Marcell holds goat-care workshops periodically throughout the year. Go to Mountain-GoatLodge.com for more information.

While backyard goats arent al-lowed in many jurisdictions, as they are considered livestock, Arvadas city council just voted seven to zero to allow up to two backyard dwarf goats within the city limits, according to DenverPost.com.

For those interested in adding backyard goats to their pet reper-toire, and live within the Town of Berthoud limits, first check your propertys zoning. Only property with an agricultural designation can house livestock.

Photo by Kerrie ErtmanBambi and Booker live together on Kerrie Ertmans property in Loveland.

Goats gaining ground as pets

3 Loveland residents announce candidacy for school board