Zoey, Beloved Goat And Woodbine Cause Célèbre, Dies

NASHVILLE, TN — Zoey The Goat, Nashville's first officially licensed goat and unofficially the mascot of Woodbine and Flatrock, died Thursday, according to her owner.

Zoey, beloved for her whimsical bonnets and colorful scarves seen while walking the streets south of downtown, has been a fixture of the neighborhood since 2013, but in 2014 drew wider attention when a persnickety Metro Animal Care and Control officer gave her owner, Mark Bigbie, 10 days to get her licensed or make other arrangements.

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Metro law prohibits certain animals — including goats — from being kept within 1,000 feet of another residence unless the owner has a permit. After Bigbie received his notice, hundreds of people signed an online petition seeking a stay for Zoey. Meanwhile, Metro's Department of Health, charged with regulating domestic animals in Davidson County, had to determine what, exactly, would go into a issuing a goat permit.

Four days later, Bigbie applied for the permit and following an inspection by Brent Hager, the director of environmental health, received Metro Goat Permit 001.

"We looked at several things, including condition of the fenced-in area for the goat, apparent health of the goat, adequate food, water and shelter," Hager wrote in an email message to The Tennessean at the time. "This goat is very well cared for and very friendly."

Since then, Bigbie has added a second goat, Cooper, who is also, of course, permitted and has been joining Zoey on her walks.

Zoey went on to win Best Therapy Goat in the Nashville Scene's annual prestigious Best of Nashville awards and became a social media star, with photos of her walking the neighborhood popping up all the time.

But now, Cooper will have to walk alone.

"Our sweet Zoey has passed, she fought as long as she could. After another round of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory meds this morning she started having seizures due to the stress and her poor body just couldn't bounce back. We want to thank everyone for the prayers and love that you have given Zoey, she has been a joy to our family and we will miss her dearly," Malissa Morton Teal wrote on the 16th District Facebook page, garnering hundreds of mournful remembrances.

Image via Nashville Scene, used with permission