14 goats and sheep found wandering Virginia neighborhood

Sept. 10 (UPI) -- Neighbors in a Virginia neighborhood rounded up 14 escaped goats and sheep that took a morning stroll through their yards.

Linda Hochstein of Richmond said she received a text message from a neighbor Monday morning showing the animals wandering the neighborhood.

"She asked if I got new pets," Hochstein told WWBT-TV. "So, I threw some clothes on and ran outside."

Hochstein posted a video to Facebook showing her standing among the animals as they grazed on grass and other plants at the side of a road.

"This is one of the best Mondays I have had in a long, long time," an amused Hochstein says in the video,

Hockstein, a professed animal lover, kept the goats and sheep together and out of harm's way for about an hour before receiving help from neighbors and a news crew. She helped keep the animals safe for about three hours before they were recovered by their owners.

The goats and sheep belong to a landscaping company called RVA Goats. The company uses goats and sheep to clear brush and weeds from clients' properties.

Kristi Orcutt of RVA Goats said the animals escaped from a yard about two blocks away from where they were rounded up.

"I guess one of the posts fell down somehow," Orcutt said. "Maybe a branch fell on it or something and the fence was down, and the goats were like, 'hey, let's see what there is to eat out there.'"

Orcutt said the animals were returned to the job site and employees repaired the fence to prevent further escapes.