As the Rocky Canyon Fire threatened Morgan and Summit counties, residents evacuated their families and farms Aug. 9.
One farmer, Dick Tennant, lives with his elderly mother. While he took care of her, Tennant called on his community to help his 21 goats and three peacocks to safer ground.
It took less than 30 minutes for the county manager, sheriff and residents to come to his aid. They wrangled the goats, caught the peacocks and sent the animals in trailers to the Morgan County Fairgrounds.
Morgan County Manager Kate Becker said the town came together to meet the challenge.
“That little brown one did not want to go,” Becker said, pointing to a baby goat kneeling in hay. “He’s a jerk. He’s a total jerk. So unwilling. Did not understand. ‘[Like] we are here to help, sir. We’re the government. We’re here to help.’ Yeah, he did not want to go. Did not want to go. So, we all got a workout.”
She said the operation took around 40 minutes.
Fellow rescuers Katie Hunziker and her 17-year-old son Carter Peterson, a competitive rodeo roper, helped circle the goats. Peterson and the sheriff, who also had a rope, finally wrangled the animals.
“Carter would run and kind of herd them towards us,” she said. “And then we’d move our half circle in closer and closer and closer, and then we had a goat, it would jump. It would pretty much jump straight over your head. And then you had Kate Becker running, and I’m running, and Carter’s running, and he’s leaping over the ravine trying to rope the goat.”
Becker said capturing the peacocks wasn’t any easier.
“They’re beautiful, but peacocks, when they’re scared, they fly straight up… I had peacock manure all over my face,” she said.
Now at their temporary home, the goats are safely in a pen and the peacocks in covered cages. The fairgrounds provide water while Tennant is responsible for the feed.
Morgan County Commissioner Mike Newton said the evacuation is a testament to the community’s strength when it counts.
“I think it’s just wonderful that the community comes together in times of need,” Newton said. “And people are willing to help each other with whatever they need, whether it was moving animals or helping people get out of their homes if they were evacuated, it’s just awesome to live in a community where people care.”
Becker said, when the time comes, they will be there to help Tennant bring his animals home.
KPCW was unable to reach Dick Tennant (and hopes to hear from him soon.)
