Four-Legged Workers Also Out of a Job During Government Shutdown

It turns out humans aren't the only workers out of a job during the government shutdown -- some of the furry, four-legged kind have found themselves furloughed as well.

Such is the case for Larry Cihanek, a former New York City advertising man who turned to goat farming in his retirement. Cihanek has about 65 goats that he rents out to national parks to naturally keep weeds at bay. Because of the shutdown, most have been sidelined.

Image source: Lehigh Valley Morning Call

One park they've "worked" is Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, where tree roots were cracking parts of the Civil War site, but thick poison ivy and other weeds meant crews couldn't get in to make repairs. Enter the goats, which can eat back the growth and clear it out for humans to pass, Cihanek told the Lehigh Valley Morning Call

Only three goats -- Monet, Picasso and Van Goat -- are still on the job, because they "work" for the city of Easton, Pa., and were unaffected by the shutdown. Cihanek asked if the city wanted to hire his furloughed herd, but was told no because of the tight budget.

"I have about 65 goats," Cihanek told the Morning Call. "Just three are working."

--

[related]