Pygmy goats - the new it pet?

In addition to their popularity among enterprising grass-cutting and weed control operations like City Grazing and Goats R Us, more and more people are choosing to employ goats as family pets.

According to the New York Times, some Chicago residents have become particularly fond of Pygmies.

Valued for their milk and desirable compact size (they max out at around 17 inches tall)

These bitty billies have trotted into backyards (and hearts) throughout the Windy City and its burbs. Pygmies are also revered for their intelligence and good temper.

"Out in a yard, they easily pass as a dog," one goat enthusiast told the Times. As in Chicago, keeping a goat is also legal in San Francisco, you just can't sell the animal's milk or cheese. According to San Francisco health codes, donkeys, mules, cows, and goats (basically all "even-toed hooved animals") require a permit, although pot bellied pigs and Pygmy goats are typically defined as pets. Just be sure you know the local laws before picking up a Pygmy of your own to avoid any "5-4-7" grazing violations.