Tribute to a terrible jerk

​Kyle, “The Goat,” Applegate, 10, of Sawtown, passed peacefully from this world Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, at a veterinary office in Seneca from possible urinary stone complications. 

​Kyle was born March 5, 2012, on the Fox family farm on Pinegrove School Road in Venus. He was the son of Hailey, the Alpine goat.
He then made his home with the Applegates in late spring 2012.

​He enjoyed the companionship of Brently, the Nubian goat, until Brently’s passing three years later from a urinary stone. 

​In 2015, he was joined by his half-brother Kennedy, who he leaves behind to mourn his loss.

​Kyle enjoyed freedom from employment all his life. He worked very hard at bullying his fellow pasture-mates and family dogs. He was also the unwilling star of a children’s book published in August 2015. It was titled, “Kyle: The Goat Who Ate Christmas.”

​He was preceded in death by a brother, Stan, in early childhood.
Additional survivors include his caretakers, Shane and Anna Applegate, and several canine and feline fur family members.
There will be no viewing or services.
Memorials can be made to Precious Paws, the Venango County Humane Society or to a charity of one’s choice. 

I never thought I would miss such a cranky caprine so much. I couldn’t count how many times I would say to Kyle, “I will be happy when you are gone.”
Those words said in anger and frustration could not have been further from the truth. I had to make “The Dreadful Decision” on Wednesday, Nov. 16, to release Kyle from his recent suffering. 

​He was a difficult goat to live with. He was incredibly strong-willed and stubborn. I tried several times to explain to him that other goats were not as spoiled as he was, but still he wanted things his way. 

​When Kyle and his first pasture-mate Brently came to live with us, they were very vocal. I immediately began to regret the whole “getting goats” idea. However, eventually, they settled in. Then I had the great idea to try to walk the goats. The first few times were very trying. At first, the little ones didn’t want to enter the “dark woods” because it was different from the open fields they were used to. Then they discovered that there was food or good browse in the woods, and they quickly changed their attitudes.
​The next obstacle was several creeks we had to cross. They had a phobia of water but eventually learned how to jump across.
Brently and Kyle enjoyed several adventures as youngsters until Brently succumbed to a urinary stone at the young age of 3.
I would like to believe that Kyle cared, but he didn’t. He was too self-centered to even really know. 

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​While Kyle may not have had anyone to share his pen with at the time, he had a very young Sherman to chase him around. 

​Many years later, Gus would take up Sherman’s goat chasing mantle. 

​Meanwhile in 2015, his half-brother Kennedy was introduced to him. Kyle was not excited to share his pen, but was somewhat delighted to have someone else to bully and push around. 

​He and Kennedy butted heads many times.
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Kyle also butted heads with me on several occasions, but in a more figurative kind of way.
There were several times when he decided he didn’t want to go on his walk at the time when the rest of us were going. He was then locked in the pen while everyone else went. He quickly vocalized his opinion and could be heard for several acres as the rest of us continued our trek. 

​He continually kept butting the door of the shed while I tried to get his food ready. He had no patience.
Kyle also seemed to be able to detect which flowers I didn’t want him to eat. This spring I never saw the new tulips I had planted because he picked them off as soon as the buds formed.
The same thing happened to my peace rose bush.

​For more than 10 years, Kyle’s ornery attitude just became something we delt with on a daily basis.
As my husband and I discussed this void in violence at our home, he recalled some other memories. 

​He said his favorite was Kyle having a verbal disagreement with an impact wrench from afar.

We kept hearing Kyle snorting and were a little concerned there was something in the yard that was a threat.
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Upon going outside, every time an impact wrench sounded in the distance, Kyle would snort in a haughty reply. 

​He also was very irritated by the leaf blower and voiced his opinion at that piece of equipment as well. 

Other memories surfaced as well as I searched through old photos of the black and white alpine.
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There were photos of a little Kyle too small for his collar. That stage didn't seem to last very long. 
Other pictures showed the aftermath of Kyle’s tendency to unhook things from his pen.

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There were several times he got his head stuck in the hay bag or his feed bucket. I used to just chalk up the incidences to karma. 

​There were other shots that seemingly showed tender moments with Kennedy. They were most likely taken moments before Kyle then headbutted his half-brother.

 Several images of Kyle modeling a Santa hat additionally appeared. A torture he will miss this year.
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I still can’t fathom my feelings of loss for such a big bad bully. 

​However, I still have a lot of memories and many, many photos of the cranky caprine.
Nonetheless if Kyle could come back from the afterlife and haunt us, he totally would.
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That’s just the nature of things ‘round here.