WEST CARLETON – The wailings of a goat brought Ottawa police scrambling due to the sound being very similar to a child’s scream.

The Ottawa Police Service (OPS) were called to a rural address in the west end of the city, early evening on Jan. 27, when a resident heard what he believed was a child calling for help and called 911. 

The only details the caller could give was that the sound was coming from a wooded area in the north end of his property. Officers searched in the dark but didn’t hear anything, nor did they find a child in distress. They went to check neighbouring houses and at one residence, spoke with a woman who could account for all three of her children. 

The woman’s husband came into the house while police were there and reported his goat had been screaming earlier. He then found the animal with its head stuck in a fence. The farmer said the sound could be mistaken for a child screaming. 

The man led the officers to the area and sure enough, it was exactly where the complainant reported the sound coming from.

The OPS were glad to get the original call, as they say it’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to suspicious activity. The OPS reminds residents not to hesitate when reporting suspicious activity, even if there’s a chance it may only be a distressed goat.