Goat Renter Guy Visits Sammamish

GRG - MedBarking dog leads to meeting "Goat Renter Guy"
I was able to leave the office a little earlier than usual last Friday and as a result, I was the first one to arrive at home. Our dog, Chloe, appeared much more anxious to get outside than normal, but when a dog needs to go out, you don’t second-guess her. I opened the door and out onto the deck and into the lawn she bolted. “Wow,” I thought, “she really needed to go!”

I went upstairs to change clothes and that’s when I heard Chloe barking. So much so that it struck me as very unusual. Looking out the window, I saw what all the commotion was about - something that explained why Chloe was excited and barking.
One Goat - Med


Our back yard backs up to a gravel alleyway between two housing developments. The lot in the adjacent development that is directly behind our house has never been built on. It was cleared once, but now it is filled with small alder trees and heavy growth of blackberries and underbrush. And on Friday, it was also covered with GOATS!

Moving throughout the blackberries and getting Chloe’s attention were more than 230 vine-chomping goats! That’s right. In our suburban neighborhood of Sammamish, Washington, where the most interesting wildlife we see are a few deer from time to time, were hundreds of goats, of various sizes, shapes and colors, meandering through prickly blackberry vines and munching up a storm. It was quite the sight.

Baby Goats -Med

I grabbed the camera and exited the back yard into the alleyway. A temporary fence to keep the goats from roaming too far had been installed around a large portion of the vacant lot. Inside the fence the goats were feasting as if they hadn’t eaten in days. And there, standing among them, was Craig Madsen – Goat Renter Guy! Just like PEMCO Northwest Profile Number 80.

Craig is the owner of “Healing Hooves”. His business card says that he is in the natural vegetation management and range consulting business. What that really means is that Craig owns goats and he will take his goats from their home in Edwall, Washington (about 45 minutes west of Spokane) to wherever a paying customer has underbrush to get rid of. He says the goats prefer blackberry vines and ivy. They were in blackberry heaven where I found them.

I introduced myself to Craig and told him that I am the CMO of PEMCO Insurance and that we had featured another Goat Renter Guys goats in one of our television commercials a year or two ago. Craig was very familiar with the commercial and he said he often partners with the Goat Renter who owns the goats that made it big on TV.

  

It was fun seeing the goats and Goat Renter Guy in action, almost in my own back yard. I told Craig I would be sure to send Goat Renter Guy tee shirts for him and his wife to wear on the job. 

GRG on Phone - Med

That got a big smile from Craig, who quickly called his wife to tell her of our unexpected meeting. Craig expects the goats to finish the job by end of the day on Sunday. Then they’ll be off to another briar patch!

Add A New Comment

  • Rod Brooks
    Feb. 8, 2012
    Machelle,
    I don't know how to contact you because you didn't leave your email address in the comment form. If you happen to see this, please let me know how to reach you.

    Thanks

    Rod
  • Machelle
    Feb. 8, 2012
    I am big fans of the Goat Renter Guys! I now follow Craig and Sue Lani
    On Facebook! I would love a tee shirt! I am a Pemco boat insured person and have a goat who loves to ride in the old 1973 21 ft Fiberform! I can send you a picture of my goat who loves a boat! C
  • Rod Brooks
    Oct. 11, 2011
    Hi Tammy,

    Thanks for the note. I believe you and I met at an event where the WALLY (We're A Lot Like You) Van was stationed and your goats were eating up a hillside. I don't recall the location, but everyone sure enjoyed watching the goats.

    It was fun to find another G.R.G. working in the lot behind my house. Craig made sure I remembered that your goats were the stars of the PEMCO commercial. Thanks for helping us make that possible. It's still one of the profiles that gets a lot of talk and smiles!

    Rod
  • Tammy Dunakin
    Oct. 9, 2011
    Hey Rod

    You met my friend Craig I see... We work together on a big job in the highlands every summer. I own Rent-a-Ruminant LLC. My goats were the ones on the PEMCO commercial you did. I am not a guy btw but a woman. Not sure why they did not make it goat rental gal? Kinda sexist if you ask me LOL.. Anyway, glad you got to see craig's herd in action.

    Cheers
    Tammy
  • Ryan Breske
    Oct. 9, 2011
    That's so great. It just goes to show how real the PEMCO Northwest Profiles are vs. just another clever agency idea. When are we going to see Coug profiles?

The Fine Print

Rod Brooks (that's me) is VP & CMO of PEMCO Mutual Insurance Company and serves as Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Directors for the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA).  It's important to disclose both of those relationships and to be clear that this is my personal blog where I share thoughts and opinions that are solely my own.  Contact me!

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