Meet Boo, the friendly goat that goes for daily walks around Milton Keynes

A man and his pet goat have become mini celebrities among the dog walking community in MK.

Technical engineers David keeps Boo in a special hut in his Bancroft back garden and every day he hooks him up to a lead and takes him for a walk around city fields and parks.

"Every time we go out, we’re stopped by people who are surprised to see a goat on a lead,” he said. “Dogs are sometimes surprised to see him and think it’s another dog with big horns!”

Boo laps up the attention and enjoys a stroke on his head, behind his horns, when he’s in the right mood.

He’s been handled by humans since he was born 10 years ago, in David’s garden, to his mum Ivy.

"At the time, we’d researched that goats’ milk was incredibly good for you so we bought Ivy as a pregnant female, hoping she’s give birth to another female. Instead we got Boo!” said David.

Ivy died of old age but Boo remains, living a life of luxury with a few chickens as his companions.

"He’s quite a good age for a goat and he suffers from osteoarthritis in his shoulder, for which he has medication. He has a bowl of carrots a day and special goat food,” said David, who has two young sons.

It’s important that Boo stays active, hence the daily walks, he said.

"He weighs 35 kilos and is the size of a Labrador, so he’s quite strong on the lead. But generally he walks well.”

Keeping a goat in a residential area is not simple though, and David has to fill out reams of paperwork with the authorities. He has to have a licence from the local authority to keep wildlife and also a ‘walking licence’ through the Animal Health Protection Agency to be able to take Boo out in public places.

He also takes him to the vet every six months to ensure he is in tip top health.

Because there is so much interest when Boo is out and about, David has launched a special Instagram account called ‘Boo is a goat’. You can view it here.