Cecil the goat forced to auction by outback shire due to regulations

Unable to find the owner of a lost goat, a rural shire in Western Australia has been forced by a 1960 regulation to auction it off to the highest bidder.

The renegade goat was rescued by Shire of Carnarvon rangers in November near Coral Bay, around 1,100 kilometres north of Perth.

After two weeks and with no-one coming forward to claim the friendly animal, shire president Eddie Smith said they decided a silent auction was the best course of action.  

“It could be [a good Christmas present] for somebody that would like a goat roaming around their yard, cleaning up the leaves, and all and sundry,” Cr Smith said.

He said the goat, which he has affectionately named Cecil, was most likely a pet and unlikely an offspring of the 50 goats taken to Shark Bay in 1870 that became feral.

Cecil’s sale is covered under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1960 which states that a failure to pay fines, fees, or collect livestock which have been seized by rangers can be sold or otherwise disposed.

Cr Smith said in his twenty years of local government he has never come across a shire hosting a goat auction.

“That’s what the regulations, that probably date to some ungodly year, state — that if we have some random goat come into our possession the only way we can deal with it is auction it off,” he said.

“Our staff are following proper and due process because that’s in the regulations — we have to auction off the goat.”

A silent auction has been set up with residents able to place bids on the animal at the Shire offices until close of business on Friday.

The shire president said he could not comment on how many people had bid, given the secret nature of the ballot, but revealed he had taken multiple phone calls from people from as far away as Perth.

The Shire of Carnarvon’s Facebook post about the auction has also attracted more than 30 comments inquiring about the animal.

“How do you make sure this goat goes to an appropriate home and doesn’t end up as goat stew?” one commenter said. 

“Surely you have some obligation for his welfare?”

Cr Smith said he hoped the goat found a loving home and did not end up on the menu at the local pub.

“It’s Christmas time. You’d think someone would have a bit more compassion, wouldn’t you?” he said.

The shire has said the owner of the goat still has time to come forward and should contact them immediately.

Money from the sale of the goat is expected to go into the shire’s general revenue.