Goats Rescued, Adopted
Kansas City Police Discover Two Baby Goats in Stolen Car Trunk After Hearing Suspicious Noise
Kansas City police pulled two baby goats out of a car trunk after hearing what they first thought was a cell phone ringtone. KWTX reported that the suspect, an out-of-state driver, cleared up the confusion fast: "No, those are real goats; they're in my trunk." The animals were found locked inside a stolen vehicle during a routine traffic stop in Kansas City, Missouri.
The goats were malnourished and carrying parasites when officers rescued them. They went to KC Pet Project, the city's municipal shelter, where staff bottle-fed them back to health. After a 10-day legal hold, a foster family officially adopted both goats and named them Denver and Aspen, according to KY3.
Officers Heard Bleating Before They Saw the Goats
During the arrest of the driver, officers noticed a strange sound coming from the trunk. They asked if his phone was ringing. The suspect told them no — the noise was coming from two live goats he had locked inside. WIBW reported that police opened the trunk and found the animals in poor condition, with no food, water, or ventilation.
The suspect was from out of state and was already under arrest for driving a stolen vehicle. The discovery of the goats raised the possibility of additional animal neglect charges. Missouri law bans transporting animals without proper care, and the goats' condition — emaciated and sick with parasites — met the legal threshold for neglect.
KC Pet Project Nursed the Goats Back to Health
KC Pet Project, a non-profit that runs Kansas City's animal shelter in Swope Park, took in the two unweaned baby goats. Because they were too young to eat on their own, staff had to bottle-feed them. The shelter cares for more than 16,000 animals each year across 14 metro locations. The goats were placed with an emergency foster family experienced in livestock care.
Foster caretaker Jordyn Everett described the experience on social media. "We have been so beyond blessed to be able to nurse these babies back to health," she wrote. "From bottle feeding, to bonding, to bouncing off the walls — these goats have brought so much joy to us." Her mother, Kriste Vaccaro Everett, posted that the goats were soaking up sunshine and had settled into their "new air conditioned house" on the farm, according to WAFB.
A 10-Day Hold, Then a Forever Home
Because the goats came from a stolen vehicle, KC Pet Project applied a mandatory 10-day stray hold — double the standard 5-day wait. The hold gave authorities time to verify ownership and gather evidence for any animal neglect case. Once those 10 days ended on August 12, the foster family made it official and adopted both goats, WSAW reported.
The two goats, one male and one female, were named Denver and Aspen. Jordyn Everett said they "will be living their best life on their forever farm." KCPD announced the rescue on August 10, using goat puns in their posts — phrases like "all kidding aside" — to draw attention to the story. The feel-good ending went viral across national news outlets.
Animal Advocates Warn Against Treating Cruelty as Comedy
While the story went viral as a quirky feel-good moment, some animal welfare advocates pushed back on the lighthearted framing. They pointed out that sealing unweaned animals inside a metal trunk during summer heat can be deadly. Public commenters on local news pages demanded the suspect face stronger charges beyond auto theft, WFSB reported.
The case also raised questions about interstate livestock transport rules. Moving animals across state lines normally requires a Certificate of Veterinary Inspection. The suspect bypassed all of that by using a regular passenger car. Experts say this creates a risk for spreading agricultural diseases — like the intestinal parasites Denver and Aspen were already carrying when police found them.
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