Cops Corral Horse, Goat After Escape Attempt

Photo: Officers Shana Murnane and Frank Wascher with a horse and goat that escaped from a farm near Arbeiter and Caton Farm roads. Courtesy of Val Radeka.

Police officers in Joliet see some pretty wild stuff on the job, and it was no exception Sunday when two officers fielded a report of a couple of runaways.

But these were no ordinary scofflaws or angsty teens – this wayward duo was of the four-legged variety.

Joliet resident Val Radeka said she called 911 after spotting a horse and a goat make their escape from a farm across the street from her home.

She said the four-legged friends ran down Arbeiter Road toward Caton Farm Road before circling back, heading back into the subdivision to munch on some clover in a field across from Radeka’s townhouse.

Afraid the pair might be injured if they were allowed to continue their exploits, Radeka called for help, and Officers Frank Wascher and Shana Murnane responded.

“They were great,” she said of the officers, who tracked down the horse and goat, who by that time had relocated to an open lot near Radeka’s home.

The animals’ owners were not home during the great escape, so Murnane — whom Radeka dubbed Joliet’s own “horse and goat whisperer” — used some rope to lead the animal home, with the goat following alongside. The officers gave the horse and goat some water and returned them to their paddock, Radeka said.

“It was an exciting day for the runaways and after a visit a short while ago where I talked to the owners they were laughing because the goat was all tuckered out,” said Radeka, who is a volunteer in Joliet Police Chief Brian Benton’s office.

Via Facebook, Radeka thanked the officers for helping the critters — as well as for “not making me feel dumb for making the call” to 911.

“I had no idea what to do other than dial 911 and hope that I did the right thing,” she said. “ … All’s well that ends well.”

Check out more photos of the horse and goat’s exploit on Facebook.