22°
A goat that escaped a slaughterhouse and spent the following months roaming the cliffs above Route 80 in Allamuchy was brought to safety by a local animal rescue organization (scroll down for video).
The animal had become accustomed to the rocky cliffs above the highway, grazing along the guardrail and the 18-wheelers that whizzed past her.
People, however, frightened her. Rescuers from Buddha Dog Rescue and Recovery (BDRR) tried for weeks to help her. She bolted as soon as anyone would approach, the rescue said.
"Several nights were spent sleeping at the nearby truck stop while traps were set but she just wouldn’t go in," BDRR owner Nicole Asher said.
"Panic was setting in as the weather report was just getting worse and worse. Two feet of snow was on the way and the thought of her being out in that was just unimaginable and heartbreaking."
The only way to get a trap to the area was to pull over on Route 80, which was extremely scary and dangerous, Asher said.
But BDRR had New Jersey State Police on their side, ready to assist at a moment's notice.
On Wednesday, the goat finally started to show interested in an enclosure set by BDRR.
Just as the snow started falling, the goat walked into the small enclosure -- the door slammed behind her.
"It was like she knew or some kind of divine intervention took over," Asher said.
With tears in her eyes, Asher raced over. The goat rammed the cage when she saw her.
Asher called a friend who helped get the animal out of the cage.
The goat, fittingly named Blizzard, will go to Antler Ridge Wildlife Sanctuary where she will be vetted and cared for, Asher said.
We were told that she was out there for months," said Asher, "we aren’t sure where she came from but we know that a life filled with love is ahead of her."
Click here to follow Daily Voice Northern Highlands and receive free news updates.
