iN PHOTOS: No kidding, Penticton farm offers lease-a-goat service

Sometimes experiences are the best Christmas gifts you can give to a loved one, especially if it involves leasing a goat for a few days a year. Cindy and Jeff Campbell, owners of GottaGoat Farm, are offering a selection of 12 goats through their Lease a Goat program to anyone who wants some animal loving in the Penticton area. Customers get to visit their carefully goat four times over the course of a year. Drop-ins or appointments are both welcome and you can spend as much time with your goat as you’d like. And the GottaGoat Farm is the perfect setting with the sound of quiet bleating, the smell of hay, animals and even animal droppings, the farm feels pastoral. “They are very special, and we like to not only just tell people that they're special, but we want to show you how much they mean to us too. Part of that is getting to know them and getting to love each one of them in their own special way,” Cindy told iNFOnews.ca. While GottaGoat leases 12 of their goats for visits, the farm has 74 goats on the property and knows the names and stories of all of them, even the ones that weren’t born there. To the Campbell’s, the goats aren’t just pets, they’re family and treated as such. The goats for lease are Nigerian Dwarf goats and Miniature Silky Fainting goats. Due to their small size, gentleness and need for companionship, these goats are perfect for loving and cuddling. The Campbell’s compare the goats to puppies. They follow you around and beg you for attention. The goats will even try to sit on your lap and snuggle up for some cuddles.  People will often bring picnic baskets and blankets and lay out in the pasture with the goats. Play houses are set up for the goats to goof around in and play with each other. “Once you have a goat who is part of that program, they actually have a connection with a goat. It's so cool when they come in and they want to meet their goat and they want to spend time with their goat, and it's just such a really, really fun thing for them,” Cindy said. Leasing a goat also comes with a printed photograph of your goat, baby pictures, a calendar full of adorable goat pictures and informative monthly newsletters all about goats. READ MORE: Vernon woman dedicated to helping senior pets over the rainbow bridge https://infotel.ca/newsitem/vernon-woman-dedicated-to-helping-senior-pets-over-the-rainbow-bridge/it107303 Cindy said goats can often be stigmatized as loud, aggressive or rambunctious, although this couldn't be farther from the truth. With the right training and ownership, goats can be well mannered and extremely affectionate to their owners and to their goat companions. Part of the GottaGoat lease program is to educate people about goats, their mannerisms, diets and temperament. “We also wanted to be able to educate people on goats so that they understood that they're just really amazing animals, that there's a lot more to them than just being livestock,” she said. This program started in 2017 and the Campbell’s have had people from all over the world, including from South Africa and England, visiting their farm to see their goats. “We spend a lot of time helping people... to connect with them and be able to have this sort of relationship with the animals that you don't often get a chance to do if you just go to visit a farm or something,” Cindy said. More than anything, the Campbell’s want their goats happy, and they want to make their visitors happy too. “We get enjoyment from them and we want to share that love and enjoyment with other people too,” Cindy said. “They're getting the experience of being out here with these animals, spending time learning about them, and that's something that you'll remember for a really long time.” The pricing for a full lease-a-goat package is $99, while lease-a-goat LITE, the half package with fewer visits and items, is $59. The farm can be found at 2099 Green Mountain Road in Penticton.  If you’re interested, find out more here https://gottagoat.square.site/product/lease-a-goat-gift-package/101?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=20 . To contact a reporter for this story, email Bailey Zimmer mailto:bzimmer@infonews.ca  or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter . Find our Journalism Ethics policy here. http://infotel.ca/newsitem/code-of-ethics/it106782