My Second Favorite Animal is the Goat

Yesterday, I happened to look at the window at the field behind the school. I saw a goat wandering around. After watching it for a few minutes to make sure I wasn't imagining things, I had a brief conversation with a nearby teacher.

Amy: Excuse me. A goat is over there.
Nearby Teacher: Yes.
Amy: A goat. At school.
NT: There are two goats.
Amy: (wondering why NT doesn't think this is strange) Why?
NT: (confused look and brief pause) They live there.
Amy: Goats live in the field behind the school?
NT: Yes..
Amy: Are they school pets?
NT: Yes, that is so.
Amy: Ok, thank you.

During lunch I could hear the goats going baaaa baaa baaa. I baaaaa-ed right back at them. The students were very entertained, and started calling out animals for me to imitate. What a great English lesson about animals! And then I started to wonder... I have heard cows at other schools during class. Do those schools keep cows as pets? I have always assumed they just lived on a nearby farm.

This is not what you picture when you think about Japan.