One of the most bizarre stories of earlier this week was the story of a wandering goat in Venango County.   The elusive goat popped up on people's lawns and front porches within the Franklin City Limits. It was finally captured by a man who was very concerned about the animal's safety.

The elusive goat that played a three-week-long game of hide and seek with police and animal rescue personnel is now resting comfortably on a nice bed of hay.  Patrick Brown is responsible for the goat's current leisure life..  Patrick operates an animal rescue outfit called Sugarcreek Sanctuary. He captured the goat.  Patrick volunteered for duty when the animal first appeared in a residential area of Franklin.

"Once I saw the animal and knew what he was, I didn't think it was going to be easy,” Patrick said.  I didn't know what I was going to get into. He put up a fight."

Franklin Police kept Patrick in the loop with the latest goat sightings. Some days the goat would be in the city.  Other days it was spotted in rural areas five miles away.  Patrick tried getting close to the goat in hopes of catching it without a fuss.  That didn't work.  He once had the goat in an enclosed trailer but it became violent and broke out. Patrick never gave up.  He was fearful for the animal's safety especially the high risk of it being hit by a car.

"There's several things.  He could damage property and then it gives someone the right to put him down if he starts causing property damage or personal damage.  Or, heaven forbid, he hurts a person.  The animal needed to be saved. He can't just be running loose,” Patrick said.

After almost three weeks of cat and mouse with the goat, Patrick decided to include biology into his strategy. He obtained two female goats to hopefully lure the male goat willingly into the trailer.  At first the big guy just laid there playing hard to get.  Finally he submitted to the irresistible temptations of the opposite sex. 

"As soon as he locked eyes with the girls for the first time, we had him.  It was just going to be a matter of time,” Patrick recalled.

Patrick usually captures and keeps donkeys and mules but he has learned a great deal about goats in the past few weeks.  So, he's keeping all three.   The big male goat he chased for miles and miles and had the entire area intrigued, is now his buddy.

"I'm glad he's safe.  The saga ends here but not with he and him.  We're going to keep this going."

After all the chasing, Patrick finally captured the goat less than a mile from the animal sanctuary. The goat had been wandering around the Franklin area for three weeks.  It is unknown who owned the goat and from where he came.