The newest residents at the Knox County Nursing Home in Knoxville, IL may butt heads from time to time, but that’s to be expected — they’re a pack of goats.
Four adult goats and seven kids were recently brought in to live in an enclosure just outside of the facility, where they’re fawned over and fed by residents. For some residents, interacting with the animals is a new experience. For others, the goats stir up memories of growing up on a farm.
“We just had one and that was enough,” one resident told local television station WQAD. “He was an ornery sucker.”
Activity director Tammie Leaf told WQAD the facility has seen positive results from the new animal additions and is considering adding a miniature donkey to their menagerie next year.
“You have residents that maybe doesn’t interact with others, but you put an animal there and it brings a lot of joy and actually brings a smile to their face,” Leaf said.
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