SOUTH FULTON, Ga. — A South Fulton family is struggling with a pair of uninvited guests, each with a voracious appetite.
They are goats, and they are inseparable. They have shown up and decided to call the Jackson family's front porch their home, blocking the front door, refusing to get out of the way - until they are ready to move, for a stroll around the neighborhood.
The worst part: the family has no idea how they goat there.
Fulton County Animal Control have told the Jacksons for several days that they'll remove the goats from their neighborhood - but as of Wednesday night they hadn't shown up, yet.
Okema Jackson said it's been a baaaad problem since Sunday. That's when her husband looked outside and noticed the pair of bearded beasts claiming their new turf.
“And he said, this may sound weird, but I think there are two goats outside," Okema said.
They are a pair of happy, healthy goats who have rammed their way into the Jacksons' lives and have become friendly new neighbors.
“Every day since then, they have camped out and slept on our front steps of our house. They've been here consistently. They leave. They come back," Okema said.
She's not kidding around.
They refuse to leave the front porch until they want to roam their new neighborhood for a few hours. A dog even chased them, according to Okema, and the unwelcomed scapegoats rushed back to her front porch for refuge.
“This is their safe space," she said, smiling. "They don't pay mortgage, but clearly they think it's their safe space.”
Jackson and her neighbors have gone on social media, called Fulton County Animal Control, and tried to find any grazing businesses that might be missing a couple of goats.
“It’s the darndest thing trying to figure out where they come from or who they belong to," Fletcher James, the Jacksons' next door neighbor said.
James said for now, the goats are finding their neighborhood a smorgasbord of good eating.
“So I actually moved my wife’s plants off the porch because they were attempting to eat her plants last night," he said.
Though the four-legged rascals are bringing some amusement along with frustration, Okema wonders if her friends might be right about them.
“My husband and I unexpectedly lost our son in February," she said.
Their 14 year old son, Jason, died six months ago, almost to the day.
"There are a lot of our friends who have been researching what goats mean and the symbolism of faith and protection - and their thoughts' that - could it be his spirit that is coming to surround us in this very unique way?”
She said she'll take these kids as a sign that Jason is sending some lighthearted fun to their home.
“Finding gratitude and laughter through the grief in this situation," she said.
While the goats are well-fed and have added a sense of wonder to her life, Okema said she knows what it's like to miss someone - that's why she hopes to find their real home and return them to their owner soon.