Gary Angel regularly walks his dog Boson and goat Benji on the beach at North Haven, south of Port Macquarie, before stopping at the local pet-friendly cafe for a snack and chat.

The goat and the dog are "best mates", who enjoy a bit of kidding around, and are capturing the hearts of locals and visitors alike.

"Benji has brought a lot of joy to the town," Mr Angel said.

"Benji loves the beach because he's with the dogs all the time. He's a dog with horns, that's the way we treat him. He's very easy.

"He's very affectionate … he'll give you a nuzzle … a nuzzle and a cuddle and a rub with the horns."

Goat-friendly cafe:

At six years old, Benji doesn't have quite the same energy as the younger Boson and enjoys taking time out on the beach to soak in the sun.

He also enjoys treats from the cafe, where he has become a favourite among the staff, including the owner, Sheldon Young.

"We are a pet-friendly cafe. When most people say that they think of dogs, but no, we have goats, we have birds, we, of course, have whales and dolphins," Mr Young said. 

"Everyone loves Benji. He is so polite and so mellow. He's just something different, yet behaves like any normal pet, so everyone wants to go and have a pat.

"He loves his fruit toast, his special fruit toast. He's very gentle."  

Mr Angel said it was uplifting to see the way Benji could make people smile.

"He's very popular … it's surprising how many people haven't seen a goat before, and in school holidays, the metropolitan crowd come up here," Mr Angel said.

"[Other] people re-live stories of their mothers and fathers and families and farms they were on where they had goats."

When he's not at the beach, Benji and Mr Angel can also be spotted taking a stroll down the main street of nearby Laurieton. 

From drought-stricken farm to beach life:

While Benji might be a goat with a lot to gloat about, his life wasn't always as good as it is now.

He was born during a difficult time of drought on a farm at Armidale, in the NSW Northern Tablelands. 

"They had no food. He had been neutered and was getting a pretty hard life from the female goats," Mr Angel said.

"He had no commercial value, so the owners were looking for a good home for him, and we said, 'We can do that', and here he is."

Part of the family:

Benji is now toilet-trained and also enjoys spending time with the family's other dog, Bear.

"He doesn't live in the house, but he comes in," Mr Angel said.

"At night-time, he just stands at the table where the wife and I are having dinner, and he might get a bit of pumpkin or cabbage. He's very well-mannered.

"All the horror stories you hear about goats, like  [them taking]  clothes off the line, or chewing trees, we have none of that because he does what the dogs do." 

And how does a goat keep his goatee looking so good? 

"Once a month, he goes through the dog wash, which he loves … and he loves the hair dryer that finishes the whole thing," Mr Angel said.

Original Story By | Emma Siossian