Safety in the Nick of Time
Animal Stories from All-Creatures.org

From Farm Sanctuary
May 2010

Purchased from a breeder as a present for a man’s niece, Lily was quickly deemed a nuisance and cast aside by her new guardian. The man who bought her lived in New York City and did not have the space to properly care for her, so he made arrangements for the baby goat to be slaughtered.

The morning of the scheduled appointment with the butcher, Lily rode quietly in the passenger seat of the man’s truck, each passing mile bringing her closer to an untimely end. But as they approached Watkins Glen, mere miles from their destination, the man had a sudden change of heart. He called Farm Sanctuary and asked if we would take the 2-month-old goat instead. Fifteen minutes later, Lily showed up at our New York Shelter.

As soon as she arrived, sanctuary caregivers prepared a clean stall with fresh hay and grain for the skinny goat to eat. Lily certainly had a rough start; she was afflicted with lice and mites, a bad cough, and orf, a viral infection that left lesions on her mouth. She is currently kept separate from our resident goats while she receives ongoing treatment for an internal parasitic infestation, and is still struggling with severe pneumonia. But we are happy to report that this brave little kid is making progress and growing stronger by the day.

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Photo from Farm Sanctuary

Though Lily came to us with bald spots on her face and legs due to mange, her hair is finally starting to grow back. She is very active and loves to run in the pasture and munch on fresh green grass. Lily also needs plenty of love and affection to keep her going, and will climb the fencing and bleat a greeting whenever anyone comes near. Without a mother to snuggle with, she will gladly rub up against you and climb into your lap to sleep. Watch out for your clothes, though, because Lily is very curious and will nibble on everything in sight!

Having narrowly escaped an early demise, this sweet girl is now forever safe from harm.


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