City council member proposes interesting plan to tackle rat problem

BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) — The city of Bremerton may enlist goats in its battle against rats.

City Councilman Jerry McDonald says goats could be brought in to eat blackberry brambles and other brush along the waterfront that shelters the rodents, limiting the rat habitat.

The Kitsap Sun reports residents in the area have been complaining about rats. One said a rat chewed up the ignition wiring on his car.

Removing the blackberry brambles would beat the rats back, McDonald told the Sun.

"It's really nothing more than another tool in your kit," McDonald told the Sun.

The paper reported it's difficult to understand why rats are surging in Kitsap County. One theory is redevelopment in the downtown area might have caused the rats to seek new shelter.

Currently, livestock such as goats are banned in the city.