Oliver was only six months old when he was rescued off of
a cold Manhattan street in January. Just like his namesake, Oliver Twist,
this little pygmy goat was orphaned, lonely, and starved for both food and
affection when he was found. It seems the little goat somehow escaped
unscathed from a live meat market in the city � well, almost unscathed.
Sometime before he was able to leave the horror of the market behind him,
he had four bold letters spray-painted onto his side, indicating that he
had been "S-O-L-D."
Oliver was very lucky, indeed, to have escaped when he
did, because animals labeled "sold" at market are usually destined for
slaughter. Even worse, animals slaughtered within large metropolitan
communities are often killed in accordance with painful, ritual slaughter
laws. Under these laws, animals killed for food must be fully conscious,
and are often hanging by a back leg, when their throats are cut. Sadly,
growing urban demand for meat from ritually slaughtered animals has led to
an increase in the number of live sheep and goats being marketed in the
city for this purpose. As a result, it is no longer uncommon to see
abandoned or runaway animals, like Oliver, loose in the city.
Thanks to the efforts of New York City Animal Control
officers, Oliver wasn't loose in the city for long. The officers brought
Oliver to a city animal shelter and immediately called Farm Sanctuary.
After a brief stay at the Catskill Animal Sanctuary in Saugerties, New
York, where he was neutered, and treated for parasites and sore mouth,
Oliver arrived at our New York Shelter. Here, he was vaccinated, treated
again for parasites, and given all the blood tests he needed before he
could journey to his new home out of state. He also happily received more
than his fair share of love and attention from our staff, and clearly
treasured each new friendship he made.
Today, circumstances for Oliver are far better than they
were just a few weeks ago. He is now living with a loving family and
another pygmy goat named Henry in North Carolina, and has become quite
famous as a result of his harrowing ordeal. Covered by major media
outlets, including the Corning Leader (
http://www.the-leader.com/articles/2005/02/04/local_news/local06.txt )
and WCNC Channel 6. Oliver's story has already touched many hearts across
the nation. Now safe in his new home, Oliver is finding out how good it
feels to be valued, not as a commodity, but just for being himself.
Go on to Free Veggie
Starter Kits...
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