Chiesa Farm Goat Alert!

Since we were banned from our rightful unleashed dog walking area by arbitrary and capricious (more about capra later) Conservation forces, we were forced to walk our dog in another Conservation area.  We picked Chiesa Farm.   We found out some new information about Chiesa.

• There are no longer any horses quartered there, so it seems permissible to go through the gate into the big field.  Everybody is doing it.  This expands the available land for dog-walking greatly.  Also, there is a nice set of stone benches on a knoll.
• There are often deer and coyotes in the early morning.
• A woman from town brings five or so Nigerian Dwarf Goats to graze there.  She drives them there in the back of a Volvo (Swedish Brick station wagon model). These are, of course, off leash.  No rules that I can see prevent anyone from grazing large animals on Conservation Land.  However, not if they ate flowers, plants, or shrubs - I suppose grass is a plant.  Goat guano need not be picked up.
• However, dogs and goats don't mix too well.  So keep your dog leashed if there are goats around. What should you do if your dog attacks a goat?  In a word, pay up. Quoting from www.dogbitelaw.com -  Massachusetts has one of the best laws for the protection of dog bite victims, especially young children. A dog owner or keeper is strictly liable for dog bites unless the victim was trespassing, teasing, tormenting or abusing the dog, or was committing another tort. A child under the age of 7 is presumed to have done none of those things, but the presumption is rebuttable.