Dozens Of Strangers Help Milk 50 Goats Stranded On Highway During Snowstorm

A group of 40 to 50 people heeded a late-night call to assist a farmer and his 75 goats when they became stranded on a Utah highway during a snowstorm. Jose Garcia purchased 75 goats in Minnesota and was hauling them back to California to join his herd when traffic ground to a halt on I-80 in Utah as the weather conditions deteriorated.

After several hours of sitting in traffic, Garcia began to worry because the goats needed to be milked.

"They're high-producing animals, and they really can't go much beyond 12 hours without milking," Garcia told the Washington Post.

He explained that the goats' udders swell up and could become infected if they aren't milked regularly. Usually, Garcia and his uncle, Bartolo, would pull over at a rest stop to milk the goats. Still, the closest one was several hours away.

"I was getting ready to lace up my boots and milk them in the trailer when things finally started moving," Garcia said.

He knew he couldn't make it to a rest stop but found a livestock supply shop in Stansbury Park, about an hour away.

When Garcia rolled into Tractor Supply Co., the store's assistant manager, Lisa Fernandez, was preparing to close up for the night.

Fernandez was taken aback when Garcia asked if she had ever milked a goat before but said she was willing to learn. He also asked if she knew anybody else who could come help them milk the 50 goats.

Another employee posted a plea for help on a private Facebook group, and within 30 minutes, about 40 people showed up to assist.

"It was freezing cold, it was mid-20s, but as soon as everyone walked up, it was, 'What can we do to help? Where do you need us?'" Fernandez told KSTU.

Garcia was shocked by the number of people who showed up to help in the middle of the snowstorm.

"The parking lot was full of people wanting to help," Garcia said. "Even the sheriff rolled up to see what was going on. He wondered why he hadn't been invited to the milking party."

After a few hours, all the goats were milked, and Garcia was able to get back on the road.

"They got me out of a huge jam, and I now consider them all friends. I told them to come visit my goat farm in California any time," Garcia said. 

Fernandez told the Post that she might take Garcia up on his offer.

"I grew up about 90 minutes from where Jose lives, and I'm looking forward to staying in touch," she said. "Because of him, I can now check milking a goat off my bucket list."