A Happy Ending Tear Jerker

[Goat Servant]

http://shar.es/VcuLX

[crazygoatgal]

omgosh i started bawling like a baby. that is so sad and yet so sweet. im going to tell everyone i knowto watch this. there are so many steries like theirs out there. thanks for posting that.

[aart]

I wonder if Mr G had access to any other goats at his new place?

[Sensiblefarmer]

I get where aart is going with this, and I agree. The behavior of that goat is not uncommon for any social animal when it is seperated from it's herd, especially if it has never happened before. Though they may not all behave that way, some will. Folks, that video is a masterpiece of propaganda, and it's having exactly the desired effect. No doubt the donations will pour in. In order to see if the goat was indeed missing it's donkey "friend", I'd like to see it's response first by seeing other goats, sheep or donkeys introduced to it. No doubt it would take time to become established with new herdmates, but I'm willing to bet that it would be at least comfortable enough from the outset to start behaving more normally again even with strange animals for companionship.

BTW, both of those animals looked to be in great body condition, considering they were supposedly "neglected for years" according to the video. Now maybe these California animal sanctuaries have some magical formula that conditions donkeys well in six days, but they say that the goat didn't eat at all in that period, so how did it get so well fleshed? Maybe it's something in their water?

Folks, keep in mind that almost without exception, these people who run these animal sanctuaries would happily see us give up all of our animals. Don't believe me, call them, any of them. Tell them that you want to breed your goats. Explain that you need to do so to provide milk for your family, and that all kids produced will be treated in a responsible manner, whether that includes selling does to responsible "homes" or making sure that bucks are humanely slaughtered and used for meat. See if you get one person at a shelter who will condone you breeding your goats, or any other animal that you own. Basically they are against any and all animal breeding, no matter the reason. They'd rather see us all become vegetarians or better yet vegans, and forget about anyone who has a sick child that might benefit from research conducted on animals. Are they going to make a video with a heart warming sound track to get people to donate to you? While you're calling them, I'd be interested to know why they allowed this goat to be alone, without any companionship whatsoever. I mean, they're so in tuned with it's "emotional" well being, so they say. One of the basic rules of animal husbandry is that social animals do better in the company of their own kind. That kind of thing apparently doesn't work well for the production of animal rights propaganda.

Now before anyone gets a bee in their bonnet and accuses me of being heartless, all I'm saying is to think with a little bit of practicality and less emotion. It might open your eyes to see things as reality, not as the financial office at the sanctuary hopes you will.

[BadFordRanger]

That was so cool. Dang I sound like I'm 15 again, LOL.,
But it seems like they would have gotten another goat instead of a donkey!
I have always heard that goats need be with another goat, but I guess that a donkey will do!

Ranger

[mygoat]

I rather agree with Sensible farmer on this one. I am very suspicious of rescues that take in livestock. Heck, if that wether was butchered as a youngster, he'd never have been stuck in a 'neglectful' home in the first place. And there should never be starving people for as long as pet rabbits, goats and even chickens get 'rescued'. I am for people owning goats as pets if they'd like, but as soon as we start treating them more as pets and less as livestock, you are risking eliminating the livestock aspect of raising them.

That being said, also doubt a goat would do that well after laying down and not eating for 6 days.

And also, that donkey and the goat were also pretty in pretty darn good shape to be needed rescued, IMO. I hate the idea that my goats might fit their criteria for needing rescued too. After all, I breed livestock. I have a doe milking almost 2gallons/day (so yes, she is very thin right now, as is NORMAL for lactating animals especially with such high production), I've got an old doe with an anus-skin sarcoma that looks gross but isn't hurting her, another doe that injured her shoulder blade to where she has a limp that has yet to affect her negatively besides a limp (and would cost thousands to fix, in a pet pygmy doe who is not in pain and in great health), and boer doe who is so stupid she continually chews a hole in her OWN hide for no reason to where she needs to wear a goat coat to keep her from it (which she has worn said coat for years now).

[CAjerseychick]

Its a real animal sanctuary, sorta, not too pleased with them imo, they look for sob stories to help get funding (they are a vegan collective, thats the backstory and the agenda- they would like to ban all animal products- they dont even believe in eating honey)....

remember when I was tormented around finding out half my herd was CAE?
well they were no HELP at all, wouldnt even give me advice, and they have a 2nd 500 acre sanctuary not too far from their touring sanctuary.

not too pleased at all, I thought they would at least be knowledgeable goat people - and maybe there are some out on the land, but the people handling the phones and email, are not.

[V-NH]

I also agree with Sensible Farmer. It was obviously a piece of propaganda from the very beginning.

[crazygoatgal]

i feel a bit foolish for taking this at face value and not seeing the ulterior motive here. im totally unfamiliar with this sanctuary. there are real stories out there that are sweet and heartbreaking but i don't like being bamboozeled by propaganda videos if indeed thats what that is. i have a very soft heart and would do anything to ensure a nice life for any animal or person if i could, but being a good steward may also mean taking a life when needed. whether its for the animals sake or for ours. being humane and kind is the key.

[Goat Servant]

I thought he was in pretty dog gone good shape too for not eating all that time. And the donk didn't look bad either.
Just recently I brought two bucklings of an FF to be sold at a show. I came back with one.
When she heard him from the back of the truck as it pulled in she came running to fence. Two days without her boys but still with the herd.
She did come down with a nice load of cocci from the stress.

[Pony]

Darned shame they don't have a comment feature after the video.

It's propaganda, no doubt.

Crazygoatgal, don't you feel bad. You have a soft heart, and once someone suggested you look at it from a different angle, you proved you don't have a soft head.

[crazygoatgal]

thanks pony i appreciate that. i can be so naive sometimes. always want to take things at face value. your a sweetie.

[Pony]

Originally Posted by crazygoatgal

thanks pony i appreciate that. i can be so naive sometimes. always want to take things at face value. your a sweetie.

Hey, we ALL want to have happy endings to stories.

[Goat Servant]

I tend to take things at face value too. Must think more.

[Goat Servant]

There was a blog I read (who's I do not recall) about perceived animal abuse on a dairy farm.
There was music as the farmer slapped his cow to make her get up. *gasp*
"A down cow is a dead cow."
You cant have them spread out in aisles or too lazy to move when it's time.
They pointed out how just the presence of music can take it to an unrealistic level.

[CraterCove]

I'm not going to bother tossing my two pennies in here because Pony and Sensible pretty much said it all.

Don't feel poorly about being taken in by them, they work really hard to pull your heart strings, they spend millions hiring people who know how to make you dance to their tune.