40 strangers milk goats to help drivers avoid traffic jams

Goats on the cart of herder Garcia

Jose Garcia and his uncle were driving 75 goats to their farm in California on March 2 when a massive snowstorm swept through Utah, causing traffic delays.

Hours passed, and the traffic on the road showed no signs of moving. The strong winds and swirling snow were making Garcia, 40, panic. His goats needed to be milked every 12 hours or their udders would swell and possibly become infected.

“The 12-hour mark had passed and we were still stuck on the road,” Garcia told the Washington Post on March 13.

Garcia was only able to continue his journey after more than five hours of traffic. He looked on the map and found a farm store about an hour's drive away.

As manager Lisa Fernandez prepared to close up shop, Garcia rushed in, looking concerned. “Have you ever milked a goat?” Garcia asked, explaining the situation.

Fernandez had never milked a goat before, but agreed to help Garcia after being shown the job. Garcia then asked if she knew anyone who could help milk the goats, as the truck had 50 goats to milk and 25 weaned kids. “He said any help would be helpful,” Fernandez said.

She and another manager posted a notice looking for help on a local Facebook group.

"We are looking for someone who can assist these farmers for 1-1.5 hours to help these goats get through the night. Anyone want to help?", the post read.

Strangers help Garcia milk a goat in the parking lot of a farm store in Utah (USA) on March 2.

Within 30 minutes, about 40 people had come through the cold night, most of whom had never milked a goat before. Some brought bottles so they could take the fresh goat milk home. Fernandez pulled out several buckets and large cups from the store to hold the milk.

In the store's parking lot, Garcia showed Fernandez and a group of strangers how to milk a goat so that it produces an even flow of milk.

“The goats seem a lot more comfortable being milked. I love working with animals. All these goats are so adorable,” said one volunteer.

A group of volunteers pose for a photo after finishing milking 50 goats.

Garcia was surprised that so many people would come out on a cold weekend night to milk a goat for a stranger.

“The parking lot was full of warm hearts. Without them, I could have been gone for hours. Even the sheriff came to see what was going on, wondering why he wasn’t invited to this milking party,” Garcia said.

By 11:15 p.m., all 50 goats had been milked. Garcia and his goats got back in the car and continued their journey back to California. He now considers the volunteers friends, saying they are welcome to visit the farm anytime.

Fernandez could accept the invitation. She lives about a 90-minute drive from Garcia. “Thanks to him, I can cross goat milking off my bucket list,” Fernandez said.

HQ (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/40-nguoi-la-vat-sua-de-giup-lai-xe-tac-duong-375358.html