Goats are living on Kerth Road.
Tim and Hannah Pauk aren’t shy to share about their herd. In fact, Hannah regularly posts videos of their seven goats — funny clips of the animals getting into the house or dancing to music — to her 32,000 followers on Instagram and almost 44,000 on TikTok. Still, it sometimes surprises people to hear the couple keeps goats right here in South County. Thanks to the Pauks’ spacious backyard, it even took neighbors some time to realize what was living just across the fence.
“It’s not usual to have goats in South County,” Hannah said. “People are always like, ‘Wait, where do you live?’”
Together, Tim and Hannah run Kids on Kerth: a local business that brings the mini-petting zoo to their clients. Their “Goat Grams” are popular at schools, businesses or parties for young and old alike. They typically bring Whoopsie or Mr. Pickles, the youngest of the herd.
The Pauks don’t know the exact number of “Goat Grams” they’ve delivered, but say they do about one a week throughout the year — except for winters, which they take off. On some occasions, they’ve done four or five “Goat Grams” in a week.
“It’s a one-on-one experience,” Tim said. “I always say it’s like goat yoga without the yoga. Are you ever like, ‘I just want a picture with a goat’? That’s what we do.”
Tim and Hannah first had the idea to get goats when their son was six years old. At a mobile petting zoo, a woman walked out with a baby goat. Tim says, after that, they “had to have one.”
From there, Hannah found a breeder in Cadet, Missouri and they brought Candy, Lovee and Domino home in May 2023. Winslow, Walter and Whoopsie came onto the scene in 2024, and Mr. Pickles — the baby — came just this April.
Life has changed for the Pauks since adopting their first goat. For one, they don’t go on vacation, since there aren’t many goat sitters in South County. Tim is a recruiter and Hannah is a database administrator, but their evenings include sweeping up the barn in their backyard or getting rid of old hay and straw. Occasionally, they have to tempt their goats out of the house with treats; last year, Candy learned how to open the back door.
They compare it to having a dog or cat, in some ways. Like a cat, the goats might sit on your lap when they’re feeling calm or tired. But, like a dog, sometimes they “get the zoomies” and can’t help but rush around in a sudden burst of energy.
“Once we’re done with the goat chores, instead of going inside to watch another episode of ‘Friends’ or ‘Everybody Loves Raymond,’ we’re out here watching two goats heatbutt each other,” Tim said. “It’s comical. It’s a different type of TV.”
Hannah says their son, who is in second grade, doesn’t quite grasp the novelty of what lies in his backyard. His teachers might.
“He’s actually turned in homework where we’ve had to write, ‘Sorry, the goat ate the corner,’” Tim said. “It’s legit. The goat ate your homework, kiddo.”
Kids on Kerth is a business for the Pauks, but at the same time, it’s a simple fact of their day-to-day life. They’re ready and willing to swap stories of which goats they like best, Candy’s latest break-in attempt or the process of decorating the barn. Driving down Kerth Road, you’d never guess what’s on the other side of the fence.
“It’s chaos. Constant chaos,” Hannah said. “But it’s entertaining. I think life would be boring without them.”
Check out Kids on Kerth at https://www.kidsonkerth.com/.