LUCERNE, Calif. – A herd of Kiko goats, accompanied by their guardian watch dogs, arrived at the Lucerne Hotel on Friday to being eating down the grass on the seven-acre property.

The county of Lake sold the historic building to the Earthways Foundation. The sale was finalized in February, as Lake County News has reported.

Denise Rushing, a former county supervisor involved with forming New Paradigm College, which is to be housed in the building, said the goats – belonging to Gonzalez Brushbusters – are an ecologically friendly way to manage the landscape.

At the hotel, like elsewhere around the town, spring vegetation has grown green and tall, thanks to ongoing rains.

However, with the official start of fire season set to arrive on May 15, it’s key to now get grass and weeds under control.

The goats are being contained in an electrified fence and are guarded by Great Pyrenees protector dogs, Rushing said.

She said it’s the dogs’ job to bark at anyone approaching the goats.

That’s just what the dogs did on Friday afternoon, as curious community members and students heading home from school stopped by the grounds to check out the goats.

Rushing said the goats will be at work on the grounds for about a week.

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