Pygmy goat for dementia patients stolen from Newport

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Dinky the pygmy goatImage source, Clare Dovey
Image caption,
Dinky was described as being "very comfortable around people"

A pygmy goat which visits a hospital to comfort dementia patients has been stolen from its owner's house.

Clinical psychologist Laura Dovey said her goat, named Dinky, was taken from her garden in Newport on Monday afternoon.

Dinky regularly visits patients on the dementia ward at Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr in Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly county, where she sits on their laps and is petted.

Gwent Police said it was investigating the theft.

Dr Dovey said Dinky was a "fully-grown pygmy goat, so she only comes up to the top of your boot".

"I would take her in to visit patients and she sits on their laps and they can stroke him. They really like sitting with him," she added.

"I can see from my CCTV that someone came to the house around five to two yesterday and all the goats went to one side of the yard. I've passed that on to police to see if they can help identify the person in the footage."

Dr Dovey keeps five other goats and said Dinky was very comfortable around young people.

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