GOATS, SHEEP TRAFFIC HAZARD 1 ANIMAL KILLED ON A.V. FREEWAY.

Byline: Daily News

NEWHALL - Goats, sheep and a dog wandered Tuesday afternoon onto the Antelope Valley Freeway, stopping traffic as animal control officers rounded up the stragglers.

The California Highway Patrol shut down the northbound lanes near San Fernando Road briefly as some of the animals returned to their home at a nearby ranch.

One goat was hit by a car and died, but Los Angeles County Animal Care and Control officers managed to gather three goats, including two babies, said Sgt. Jerry White of the Castaic Animal Shelter. One of the three suffered a broken leg and was taken to a veterinarian.

White said shelter officials will talk with the owner, but did not say whether he would be cited. The fencing on the property is in ill repair, he said, and animals have wandered onto the road in the past.

``It's dangerous to the animals and to the people,'' White said. ``What happens if someone hits their brakes at 70 miles an hour on the 14? I've seen people get hurt trying to avoid hitting an animal. It's a reflex action.''

About 1:30 p.m., the Highway Patrol received a report of a large dog on the freeway trying to herd sheep from an embankment. A short time later came a report of six to eight goats on the right shoulder.