Crime
Santa Rosa man whose goats were stolen gets help from celebrity chef Guy Fieri
sanfrancisco
By Andrea Nakano

Updated on: September 25, 2024 / 11:44 PM PDT / CBS San Francisco

In the North Bay, there is a widespread search for three goats stolen from a Santa Rosa home in the middle of the day. 

The owner is making a plea to the thief, and he's getting some help from big names in the community to help bring his pets home.

Shawn Ganapoler posted flyers all around his neighborhood, hoping someone knows where his three goats Nacho, Atlas and Chili are to bring them back home.

Ganapoler has a strong bond with all of his goats. To him, they're like family. So, when he came home last week to see his goats were missing, he was heartbroken.

"It's really hard," he said. "Every morning I leave and go to work and I hope it's not the last time I get to see them."

One of the goats that was stolen has a special place in his heart.

"Nacho is the first goat that I got," he said. "I hand raised and bottled-raised. He's really big. He's probably about 150, 160 pounds. He's very vocal. He's got a lot of character and he's very very affectionate. He really likes to lay down and cuddle with you. If you lay out on the field with him, he'll lay down and cuddle with you."

Ganapoler isn't surprised the thief was able to lure the goats away.

"These have been hand-raised all their lives so they would only perceive humans as a good source or some type of entertainment," Ganapoler said.

Since their disappearance, the community has stepped up to help bring the goats home.

"The biggest thing for me really has been the outpouring of support from the community," he said. "Immediately right off the bat, I felt really alone and really isolated and the community reminded that I'm not."

One of them is his boss, a rock star chef with North Bay roots. Guy Fieri, also known as the Mayor of Flavortown, getting the word out about the missing goats on social media.

"It's an incredible vote of confidence and him going above and beyond to try and get the word out," he said. "Do his part and get the word out means the world to me."

This ordeal hasn't just taken its toll on Ganapoler but his goats as well, especially on Atlas' brother Neptune.

"I actually haven't been able to pet him very much in the last week," he said. "He's been really skittish and keeping his distance. He'll come in for head scratches every now and again but really, he's just been really distant and pretty wary of me all week."

Ganapoler hopes this nightmare will be over soon. That someone will recognize the suspected thief and know where his goats are.

"Just bring them back home," he pleaded. "Just bring them back home safe. I got no problem, just bring them back home."