Orinda-Based Thug Goats Invade, Defile Pebble Beach Home

Oh, those kids. And some adults, apparently, as a local goat herd on a vegetation-clearing mission in Pebble Beach butted in to a local home and made themselves comfortable last week – living up to their reputation as voracious eaters and chewing on everything from curtain ties to artificial flowers to real ones in the backyard garden.

About 70 of the transplanted Orindans from Lamorinda’s Goats-R-Us herd made their way into the previously meticulous home of Paul and Phoebe Croonquist, it seems, leaving visual evidence of one of the speediest digestive systems in the animal kingdom all over the Croonquist’s previously spotless white carpets while another pack of ram raiders broke off to deflower their garden.

“They went through that garden like Grant took Richmond,” Paul Croonquist told the Carmel Pine Cone – endearing himself to us with the historical reference.

When Mr. Croonquist went outside to shoo away the backyard contingent he made a critical mistake – and left his front door ajar. That, apparently, was like handing an engraved invitation to the horned hooligoats.

He told the Pine Cone reporter that the biggest member of the herd, an Alpha male with a chip on his shoulder, was standing with the rest of the pack in his living room, staring intently at a rival in the backyard and backing up in preparation of a head-long charge – through Mr. Croonquist’s rear window.

Disaster was averted when Croonquist yelled at the critter and it backed away, just as CalFire crews and a puffing goat herder ran up to clear the home of four-legged invaders.

In the end, the goats went back to doing what they were meant to do, gates and fences were secured, firefighters performed poop removal duties and the Croonquists got their carpets cleaned.

It’s not known if the Orindans will be invited back, but the Croonquists said they were left with a distinct impression of their manners and personal grooming habits sure to last for a long time to come.

EDITOR’S NOTE: NEWS24-680 would like to thank reader William “Wild Bill” Thompson for bringing this story to our attention!