A loud goat drew a police response in Etna, Maine, after a passerby reported hearing a woman screaming for help and followed the sound to a nearby farm on Aug. 30.
Etna Police said a resident walking along railroad tracks heard what sounded like a woman in distress and traced the noise to Oak Shade Farm before calling authorities. Officers knocked on the farm’s door around 8:30 p.m. and were led to the source of the commotion: a one-year-old Nigerian Dwarf goat named Simon.
Owner Devon Hawes told local station WABI 5 that Simon is particularly vocal. "He’s just got a lot to say!" she said. Hawes said she and her husband were watching a show on Netflix when officers knocked and that the couple showed the goats to police. "I don't know how to make a goat be quiet. He gets everything he needs. Food, love, all of the things," she added.
Police reports did not indicate any injuries or criminal activity; the call was resolved after officers identified the animal as the source of the screams. The incident drew attention for the unusual trigger of a welfare check and the ease with which the goat’s vocalizations were mistaken for a human call for help.
Authorities and farm owners did not report further action stemming from the response. The episode follows a pattern in which loud animal noises spur concern and emergency checks by residents and law enforcement, particularly in otherwise quiet neighborhoods.
Simon’s owner said the goat’s vocal tendencies are part of his personality and that the farm provides for his care. The matter was closed after officers confirmed there was no human in distress.