Kempsey resident Lorraine Coughlin has been left reeling after a goat has made a meal out of her "pride and joy" garden on Lord St.
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The goat has been running riot for almost two weeks and Ms Coughlin has no idea who the owner of the goat is or why it has made her backyard its new home.
Since the goat first appeared on Thursday September 5, the four legged beast has caused more than $2000 in damage to Ms Coughlin's garden.
The animal has chewed its way through three rose beds, despite Ms Coughlin's best attempts at deterring the goat with barricades.
When the animal first turned up in the backyard, a puzzled Ms Coughlin called her neighbour who made her aware of a Facebook page post from a nearby resident who has been attempting to locate the owner of the goat.
Unfortunately no one has come forward to claim it.
Ms Coughlin has exhausted all her options in an attempt to get rid of the pest, after contacting the Kempsey Shire Council, local rangers and pounds but all have informed the 76-year-old she will need to catch the animal before they can remove it.
"They want me to catch it but there's no chance of that happening, I can't at my age," Ms Coughlin told the Argus.
"I know someone owns it because it has a collar on it."
The avid gardener is devastated by the damage the goat has caused to the garden she has spent hours working on.
"I tend to this garden every day and I am pottering around out here for most of the day," she said.
"I am really upset that this has happened and flummoxed that no one will come and help me."
The damage caused by the goat isn't an easy fix, as the cost is high and the dry conditions make it nearly impossible to replant.
"The goat has completely destroyed 21 iceberg roses in one rose bed and it has basically destroyed the other two as well," Ms Coughlin said.
"There's no chance I can plant new ones. They wouldn't survive because we can't water them because of the drought.
"I know other people are going through far worse times than me but it's still very upsetting when you've put years into something and it gets ruined."
The goat was nowhere to be seen this morning but Ms Coughlin is certain it will return.
And return it did - but the gig was up. On Thursday, the Argus learned that council officers had captured and removed the goat.
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