 "Photo: Greg Elliott")
South Austin residents gathered around a fenced-off greenhouse Tuesday afternoon. The group giggled as they peered over the barrier that enclosed a special neighbor.
He's covered from horn to hoof in furry creams, browns and whites. He eats bread for almost every meal and likes to pose for the camera.
His friends wore "Save Nik" T-shirts and commonly refer to him as "Nik the goat." After a local resident made a complaint about the animal's living situation, Nik's owner, Joel Munos, was facing city-code violations for the size and upkeep of Nik's space.
Nik isn't the most active member of the neighborhood, but he's well-liked and well-known by most of his neighbors. Because of his popular status, Mayor Will Wynn pardoned Nik's owner Tuesday from disobeying city code, allowing Nik to remain in his front-yard home.
"Code compliance is important for everyone, unless [breaking the code] has a positive effect," Wynn said. "And in this case, it's a neighborhood pet."
Munos, who has had the goat since it was six months old, said he was "very happy and flattered" that the Wynn issued his pardon and thinks the neighbors, and Nik, felt the same way.
"He's happy, and he just chills," Munos said. "This is his home. This is what he knows."
As the crowd dwindled and Nik had time to relax in his space, he knelt and gave a kind goat nicker to his fans.
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