Downward-facing goat? Rescue uses yoga class to find permanent homes for goats

Shepherd’s Rest Goat and Sheep Rescue rehabilitates, adopts and provides sanctuary for goats in need.

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – On Saturday, people gathered at Gateway Mall for a yoga class. With goats.

Those in attendance say they had a great time.

“I’ve never taught goat yoga before,” yoga teacher Lynne Knutzen said. “It was a blast!”

“It’s very fun,” exclaimed Mia Ewanic. “And the goats just love you!”

The goat yoga class provided more than just a rewarding experience for participants. All money raised from the class will go to the Shepherd’s Rest Goat and Sheep Rescue, one of only three such rescues in the country, to feed and care for domestic goats.

Jen Schurman, who is the president and CEO of the non-profit, explained why she decided to start the rescue three years ago.

“When [a goat] has been raised as a pet, it has a completely different mentality than a goat that’s been raised as part of a commercial herd,” Schurman said. “To try to integrate that goat into a commercial herd is basically suicide for the goat. They haven’t developed the immunities, they don’t understand the herd hierarchy and so they need a place to go and that’s what we do.”

Schurman started the rescue with eight goats on her farm. Today, it provides a safe haven for more than 90 goats who have been displaced due to various situations including floods, people losing their farms, or people no longer being able to care for their goats.

In addition to goat yoga, the rescue facilitates animal assisted therapy for seniors and people with special needs. Adoption has been put on hold due to COVID-19, although Schurman hopes permanent homes for goats as soon as possible.

“It was just wonderful to be able to come all together for a good cause, a really good cause, to let the animals just roam kind of free and just be among us, so it was just a really nice, fun morning,” Knutzen said.

Schurman says starting May, she plans on having goat yoga sessions at her farm in Pickrell on the second Saturday of every month. Gateway Mall will host goat yoga sessions on the last Saturday of every month. Schurman says it is fun to see people interact with her goats.

“For me to watch people realize that these are intelligent, sentient beings that crave and want love and attention and to watch people realize how cool they are is really neat,” she said.

Schurman says she hopes people will be able to adopt goats soon. You can learn more about the Shepherd’s Rest Goat and Sheep Rescue on their website and on their Facebook page.