By Francie Hansen, Journal contributor

What do Alfie the sheep, rejected by his mother at birth, and Ian McGregor and George Clooney have to do with one another? All were the impetus for starting a goat collective called “Women Who Stare at Goats.” Are you still confused? Read on for another Happy Francie Slice of Life column.

Ali Rugge always had a dream of community activity bringing people, animals and the land together. She also has a sense of humor, clever ideas, charisma and an interest in animal midwifery. She hand-raised Alfie, a rejected 24-hour newborn sheep, and found he needed other animal friends. After Rugge rescued a few meat goats, Alfie began to feel like his tribe had grown and he was a goat too.

As a spoof reaction to “Men Who Stare at Goats,” a satirical movie that highlights goats used in warfare to trick the enemy into passing out from fear, Rugge decided to send out a Facebook notice about a new women’s collective titled “Women Who Stare at Goats,” and today nine island women are very active in the group.

Dusty Delange lives part-time in Phoenix. As a flight attendant, she regularly flies into Friday Harbor. “I used to work with killer whales, and now my life journey is being part of a community of women that care for these vulnerable goats, who allow us into their private world. They sigh and close their eyes when we massage their hooves. They nuzzle in for kisses.”

Sheila Doyle studied animal husbandry and was on track to be a large animal vet in Napa. Having worked for a horse rescue organization, as well as being a hospice nurse, she comes with a lot of medical knowledge. “I’ve fallen in love with these goats,” she says. “And the special bonus is that I have made so many new friends being involved in the collective.” And Delange adds, “This is a real supportive group of women who care for and work well with each other.”

Laryl Gaumer, an artist and welder at Friday Harbor Fabrication who recently moved here from San Francisco, observes, “We don’t have opportunities like this in a city. Our group of women and goats is unique to island life.”

Binny Hainel has worked in the middle school for years. Her training on the job has taught her how to handle almost any situation, goats included!

The happy hour for this diverse group of women is training the goats. Because head-butting is not a desirable trait, the goats get squirted with a water bottle (just like a dog). At feeding time, they’re taught to line up. Doyle explains that the goats are sentient beings: they can think.

They are walked daily for grazing in different pastures. “Our work with the goats is physical,” Doyle says with a smile, “so we don’t have to go to the gym.”

The goats all have names: Willow, Wendell, Madrona, Frieda, Bridget and Daisy; they also have distinct personalities. All of the women are loving movers and shakers, utilizing their many high-level skills and fondness for community to form a collective that benefits each participant.

NOTE: This group is not to be confused with “Women Who Run with Wolves” or “Women Who Run with Poodles.”