P.E.I. goats make a splash with visitors from all over

Clare O’Connor and her family are repeat visitors to a Prince Edward Island farm known for its calm waters, empty beach and 28 goats.

“I’ve never heard about paint night with goats or paddle boarding with goats and so we thought while we’re here let’s take in something not just fun, not just summery but something really unique so that’s why we came back,” said O’Connor.

On Friday morning, she ventured into the water with her daughter and a goat riding passenger on her paddleboard.

By the end of the visit, nine goats joined the board.

“I think they were the most confident ones out there on the water. They seem like they had a lot of trust that I’m not sure that I earned, but it was a lot of fun just padding around with them and having them at my feet,” she said. “They’re a lot of fun. One of them out there was staying by my feet the whole time and she seemed, it seemed like we had a connection, so it was a lot of fun.”

Beach Goats, an appointment-based experience, opened to the public five years ago. 

It is a dream come true for owner and goat lover Devon Saila.

“My goats have been raised on the beach so they think that living on the beach is exactly where they’re supposed to be and you get come out and enjoy the goats, hang out on the beach with them, go paddle boarding with them,” she said. “It’s very much focused on what the goats want to do and we can join them as opposed to us making the goats do we want them to do.”

A goat poses for a picture in a field. (Source: Alana Pickrell/CTV News Atlantic)

Saila’s beach goats are not fair weather animals and welcome visitors year round to their home with paint nights, beach walks, campfires on the beach, paddle boarding and even decorating visitors’ white t-shirts with their hooves and the red P.E.I. clay.

Beach Goats offers occasional public drop-in days, but for the most part people have to book an appointment.

Saila says their biggest job is it provide a glimpse at an animal many don’t see up close.

“They have a very therapeutic, friendly nature. They love visitors. They love enjoying other people and I wanted people to see that about goats and to be able to have what I have,” she said. “They are not the bullies and the stubborn and eating everything kind of goats that you hear about in storybooks. They are very compassionate, very kind, very sweet so I wanted everybody to be able to enjoy that and enjoy what I have and enjoy the happiness that I get from them.”

A goat breaks away from the group snacks to see if there were any more elsewhere. (Source: Alana Pickrell/CTV News Atlantic)

Ten-year-old Charlie Leduc has been volunteering with Beach Goats for the last seven months. Before moving from Quebec, Leduc says she visited the farm at least three times and knew she wanted to volunteer if she ever got the opportunity to do so.

“You get to, like, take care of them and stuff and you get to learn responsibility and all that,” she said.

She says all of the goats have different personalities and while it’s hard to pick a favourite, young Apollo is currently her top choice.

“He’s so cute and the only reason why I fell in love with him is one time I had him in my arms and he fell asleep in my arms and I just love him,” said Leduc.

Saila says the goats are as “different as a room full of 28 different people” when it comes to their individual personalities.

To her, they really are a part of the family.

“I know all of their names, they know their names, they know each others names, we celebrate their birthdays, they’re each individuals instead of a herd of livestock,” said Saila.

A goat runs on a beach in P.E.I. (Source: Alana Pickrell/CTV News Atlantic)

Guests tend to fall in love with the goats during the visit as well, which is why Beach Goats has added an adopt-a-goat program, which allows visitors to sponsor one of their goats for the year in order to receive updates, pictures and behind-the-scenes information.

“I’ve paddle boarded before, first time with goats, probably not the last. I’d like to come out here again next year and have another visit,” said O’Connor. “It was fun. I mean, the goats are fantastic.”

People interested in booking an experience with Beach Goats can message Saila on Facebook or send her an email.

For more Prince Edward Island news visit our dedicated provincial page.