If there was ever a goat that could be the "poster child" of what our rescue work entails, Faye would be it.
The day after Christmas last year we received a call from a local slaughterhouse that a baby goat had just been born, so volunteers rushed over and picked up mom and baby. They were a mess, caked in mud. Faye was thin, loosing her hair and in overall neglected shape. The baby on the other hand, luckily, was in perfect health aside from being covered in mud. And quite a baby he turned out to be but we'll get to that later.
Upon arrival at the rescue
Over the next few weeks we pampered Faye, giving her white shaving bedding and all the food she could possibly eat. Every time I went out to the rescue I would clean out my fridge of anything I thought Faye would eat and stopped at the store for more. She pretty much ate anything and everything those first few weeks.
She received vaccinations and treatments, everything to get her on the right track. Not long after arrival she had a thick green discharge coming from her nose. A vet visit determined she had likely had an abscessed tooth that fell out leaving an open cavity to her sinuses. Luckily, the issue cleared up on its own and didn't seem to be slowing her down. What did slow her down was she often favored one of her feet, reluctant to put weight on it. Another vet visit confirmed a bone infection in her back foot from standing in the thick, deep mud of the slaughterhouse pens. Not only did it make walking painful but the infection likely contributed to her difficulty gaining weight. The infected part of her foot was amputated. It was/is a recovery in progress.
She's getting around better these days and is getting used to putting weight on a foot that is now half gone. She's finally starting to shed the mangy coat she had when she arrived. Being brushed is her new favorite indulgence. The effort to get more weight on her continues and she still gets the contents of my fridge each week. However she's become more picky, in other words, spoiled. She likes making beds out of her hay, it's luxury bedding apparently. We tried giving her straw, she wasn't impressed.
Faye is one of the most laid back goats I've ever met. She's sweet and docile, even after all she's been through. I can't begin to imagine what she's seen in her lifetime and what she has experienced. We like to think she's living the good life now. We hope to continue her recovery and to see her adopted.
No story about Faye would be complete without mention of her baby, Finn. It's hard to describe what a character that little guy turned out to be. Full of personality and spunk and an absolutely gorgeous golden color with blue eyes. He provided us so much entertainment and love and continues to do so at his new home with the volunteers who rescued him that day and their herd of goats.
The rescue and recovery of Faye and knowing Finn was saved as well..... it's rescues like these that strengthen our resolve for the work we do.