I would like to bring up the facts as to why goats should have a pass to live within the city limits as an eco-friendly domesticated pet. They have a various amount of wonderful attributes and traits that make them a wonderful companion. 

1) Their food is grown right in your front and backyards.   Their main food source is grass, weeds from your garden, and hay. You can grow your own brome hay which the seats are quite an expensive or they can graze on the grass and weeds that is also available to them right at the source. When you mow your lawn, Like you would rake your leaves, you would go out and rake up the mowed over clippings and store them away for winter so they have a food source all winter like you would if you had a pet rabbit who also eat hay as well. They eat grains, but in small amounts due to grains making them bloat which is why it is recommended even by vets for them to eat mostly grass and hay and very little grains making their food source quite inexpensive. 

2) Their manure is a great source of fertilizer.  Their manure has a great amount of potassium, potash, and other minerals. Therefore, making gardening a little cheaper as far as having to buy fertilizer given they produce 300 lbs of manure a year!

3) Goats in general are also inexpensive and are easy to train and handle.  Depending who you do business with, they can sell their goats for $100-$300. My friend bought her buckling for $150. Goats for starters are social animals making it easy to train them and their size compared to a cow makes them easy and also wonderful to handle even by children. They do not require a coop like chickens. You can get them a little igloo doghouse or just a pin in general to keep them in as long as you have a great fencing to keep them in, they don't require anything lavish. They love to be loved and cuddled making them great companions. If you have your heart sat on a Nigerian dwarf goat, the males only reach 23 inches in height and the females get no taller than 21 inches in height and weighing no more than 80 lbs like some dogs who get taller than 23 inches and well over 80 lbs. These goats stay small and compacted much like a bulldog. These goats are also pretty calm, friendly, and on the quiet side, which is what they are in fact known for. If they need a vet for dehorning in castration, they can charge very reasonably.  I asked my friend how much they charged her for castration on her buckling making him a wether goat and they charged her $70 for dehorning, sedation, castration, and a vaccine. my two dogs just to have nails and anal glands taken care of cost $80-$100. So they won't have an extravagant vet bill.

4) They are very recreational.  They make a wonderful go green method for anyone who wants to go green or help benefit the economy. Not everyone wants to be a pet owner that is respectable and understandable since animals are not for everyone. If you happen to also be that one that doesn't want to own a pet, but still want to be economically friendly, farmers and lawnmowing outfits alike both could benefit this way because that's an extra source of food consumption for the goats and it gives farmers and lawn outfits like an extra revenue as well. They wouldn't take away from lawnmowing outfits, they only add to their business. If you own a pet goat, there are a lot of farmers who do grow their own hay, that gives them an extra source of income as well for their livestock in their bills. If you have food on your plate or if your animals are able to have food in their bowls or feeders for that matter, thank a farmer. This would be a wonderful way to also give back to them by helping them in that revenue. This also helps not just farmers but also reputable breeders to have a source of income for their bucklings, wethers, and does to have a good responsible home that will provide for them just like any puppy breeder will make sure of so considering to have a pet goat will also help farmers or even breeders rid themselves of their stock if they can't keep anymore or want to shrink the size of their herds.

5) Great resources for their milk and fiber.  Their milk is a good source for orphaned babies and it is also low in cholesterol. You can make a mild soap from their milk that works wonderfully For individuals with sensitive skin or acne and there fiber can be taken and span into yarn to be needed, weaved, and crocheted into anything. They make for a wonderful number of products all animal cruelty free of course!

6)  A lot of people would think goats destroy and eat everything they see and there may be some truth to this, but there is also some myths about this as well.  Goats like dogs can be great companions, but you do have to take the time to train them and teach them what you expect from them and what you would classify as a no-no. They have a wide variety of foods they may have and with proper research and a consolation with your vet at the vet check up will help reach better insight of what they can and cannot have, however, they do NOT destroy your home and actually they tend to leave your belongings alone. I have a friend who raises one in her home and her goat leaves chair cushions, upholstery, shoes, and all belongings completely alone. If it isn't grass, weeds from her garden, or hay, that goat stays away from it. I have seen dogs be more destructive than a goat.

When you get to really get to know them and watch how they carry themselves, you will see they are no different than a dog. For all these reasons I strongly and whole-heartedly believe  they would thrive very well in the city. 

UPDATE: One thing I learned about them is when they are being affectionate they will not only just follow you around like a dog, brush up around your legs like a cat, or stare into your eyes, they will lick you in the face just like a dog!