Fred The Goat Will Live Out His Life On A Farm

HACKETTSTOWN, NJ — It's a happy ending for Fred the Goat, the goat who captured hearts in Hackettstown after running away from an auction house last year. He will live out the rest of his life on a farm.

A person who answered the phone at Hackettstown Livestock Auction told Patch that Fred would be returned to his original farm, but the farm owners asked they not be named. He will live out his life there as a breeding goat.

"He's going to be a daddy," the employee said.

Fred was captured and returned to the auction house last week after spending a year freely roaming the streets of Hackettstown. An outage ensued when it was not immediately clear if Fred would become food or be allowed to live on.

Several sanctuaries contacted Patch to offer their services, and even more readers emailed to say they thought he deserved to live a long life. Fred's story captured hearts beyond Hackettstown; one note in support of him came all the way from Australia.

"Fred has become an icon, and without even knowing it, he has become a Hero. He has survived his escape from the auction market. He survived one of the nastiest winters to hit our area. He survived ‘Wild Life’. Yes, he’s a Hero," one reader wrote, adding later in her email, "Please, don’t kill him. He’s very special to all of us. Fred is not just a goat. Fred is The Hackettstown Goat."

Another wanted to see that Fred left a long-lasting legacy on the town.

"Maybe a scholarship fund can be created in his name for a lucky graduating senior from the local high school who plans on furthering their studies in the field of animal sciences. Just a thought. It would keep Fred’s legacy alive," she wrote.

There could be a Fred Part Two in the town. When police announced that Fred had been returned to his owner, they also mentioned a piglet remained escaped and on the loose in town.

Image via Hackettstown Police