CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — They really didn’t kid around.
Somehow, eight sheep and two goats made their break Wednesday night and wandered around the wall to Interstate 64 in Chesapeake, near the High Rise Bridge.
Before they could make their grand escape, Virginia State Police troopers, Chesapeake Animal Control and a Good Samaritan helped round them up and held them in custody, keeping the highway herd and drivers safe, to the great relief of their owners.
None of the goats and sheep appeared interested in what was happening on the highway as drivers passed the unusual site and they stayed near the wall.
Chesapeake Animal Patrol, and a Good Samaritan with a trailer came out to the scene and helped safely return all of the goats to their home.
Virginia State Police was a bit cheeky in its social media posts about the goats.
One of the photos shows a trio of state troopers smiling next to a trailer on the side of I-64.
The owners of the sheep and goats say their lives could serve as the plot of a situation comedy.
Reminiscent of the 1960s sitcom Green Acres, developer Stan Salvigsen and Sony Music professional Joelle Salvigsen left the New York area for Chesapeake in 2020.
Site unseen, they bought a home on a nine-acre lot with spectacular views of the Deep Creek River.
Chickens have free range in the backyard as bees buzz with the next batch of 757 honey. The sweet and sticky stuff is infused with the berry, peach, apple and pear pollen from trees that adorn their front yard.
Cardboard is used to break up weeds while two goats and eight sheep keep the property neatly trimmed. So far, the move down south has been challenging, but rewarding, for the family of six.
“Yes, number one was moving down here during the pandemic,” Stan Salvigsen said. “That was adventure number one. And I’ve got four great daughters and just them kind of working in the community down here and meeting friends and just meeting people, that was probably the biggest challenge. But finding a property like this where we kind of just go back in time a little bit was one of the biggest wins.”
Wednesday had offered another pleasant evening on the Elizabeth River until Stan Salvigsen noticed their two goats and eight sheep gone.
“I met a police officer on the road while I was going down looking for our sheep, and he notified me that they’re on the other side of the wall for me in the interstate,” Stan Salvigsen said. “They were just hanging out, enjoying the view and the noise.
“So Animal Control told me that, fortunately, a Good Samaritan was passing by and happened to have a livestock trailer hooked to their truck and was able to load them up there and transport them over to Animal Control,” Stan Salvigsen said.
His wife and four daughters monitored the livestock highway runaway drama from home.
“I literally sent a text message to my mother to say a prayer ’cause I was so nervous that we were going to lose them,” Joelle Salvigsen said. “And I’m just really thankful that they were right alongside the shoulder there and alongside the wall.”
The family doesn’t know how the animals escaped but they will soon get a fortified fence around the pen.
