How we began Goat Rescue...
In 1994 we were living on a 300 acre property in San Gregorio, California, on the central coast just south of Half Moon Bay. The house we were renting was near to a 6-acre organic farm situated on the banks of the San Gregorio Creek.
The location brought us in contact with several local farmers. One day one of those farmers asked us if she would like to take in a baby goat whose mother had rejected it. Of course nothing is cuter than a baby goat, and since we had access to a nice shed and pen she said "of course". The kid was a girl. We named her Flora.
It soon became apparent that Flora was not well. She was not eating well, and suffered from seizures. In or effort to provide for her, we purchased her mother, Flicka, from the farmer, as well as Flicka's other baby girl, whom we named Fauna. We milked Flicka to bottle-feed Flora.
Before long Fauna began to show the same symptoms as Flora. Her eyes would roll back in her head, her body would stiffen, and she would evidence seizures. We knew nothing whatsoever about goats, and the farmer we'd gotten them from had no suggestions as to the cause of their problems or how to cure them.
We found a veterinarian to consult, and he, too, was at a loss to diagnose or cure these two baby goats. Meanwhile we moved our bed onto the floor in the living room so we could keep the kids with us and tend them through the night. It was very distressing to be so helpless. Eventually, within a few months, both babies died. Flora died first, then Fauna, who had seemed to be getting better and was now living back out in the shed with Flicka, got out of the stall, wandered off, and fell into San Gregorio Creek, where she was swept away to the ocean. This left us with Flicka as our only goat.
Meanwhile we had fallen in love with goats. Something about their personality and intelligence had won our hearts. We were also in love with the country and rural lifestyle. Renting on that particular property in San Gregoria, however, was not working out, so we began to look for another home. It occurred to us that if we could find a place where we could have goats, we would be happy living there, so we made that a requirement in our search.
After months of searching, we found a place we could afford to buy in Ben Lomond, in the Santa Cruz mountains. The place had been a horse property, and had a corral and shed suitable for goats. So, on November 11, 1995, we moved there, bringing Flicka with us.
After this move we quickly learned that "an only goat is a lonely goat". Having recently lost her kids, and being all alone down in the corral, Flicka was extremely upset. She would stand by the fence, look at the house, and bawl. It was such a problem that we had to bring her up to the back yard and even into the kitchen to console her and provide the companionship she needed.
This could not go on. It was obvious that Flicka needed the companionship of other goats. Searching the local classifieds we came across an add for two goats that were nearby. Their owners had died and their home was being sold. We visited the place and saw the goats. They were two females, Ma and Brownie. They had been the beloved pets of Page Smith, a well-known professor, writer and animal lover. Ma was very old, and crippled so that she walked on her knees with her front legs. Brownie looked young and fit. We offered to purchase Brownie, but were told that they must go together. You can see, at that time we still had a lot to learn about goats and goat society. It did seem the right thing to do, however, so we took them both. We brought them home and Flicka was happy.
The property was located in the San Lorenzo Valley on Highway 9, a busy road. The corral was in the front of the property, and it was impossible for passersby not to see the goats there. Soon we had people dropping by inquiring if we might take in their goat. Occasionally, other's asked if they might get a goat from us. From this it became apparent that there was a need for someone to provide a home for pet goats that could no longer be kept, and there was an interest by others in having goats as pets. This was the beginning of Goat Rescue.
As we adopted more goats, we needed a way to inform people about the availability of some of these for placement, so we launched www.goatrescue.org, the Goat Rescue web site. This was the first -- and for many years the only -- goat rescue website on the internet. This site, petgoats.org, is the latest incarnation of that.
People need to find homes for their pet goats for the same reason that they do for pet dogs and cats. One way or another, their circumstances change and they are no longer able to care for them. Perhaps they were their childrens pets, but the children have grown and gone off to school. Perhaps their is a divorce or a forced relocation due to a new job. There are many reasons. Sometimes they have had two goats, and one dies, leaving the other alone. Rather than get another goat, they prefer to give up the remaining one.
Our herd consists of some goats that we will never place, because of our attachment to them, their age, infirmity, or perhaps their personalities or attachments to other herd members. At the same time, there are always "pet quality" goats that need homes, whether they are with us, or if we know about them through communications with their current owners.
The location brought us in contact with several local farmers. One day one of those farmers asked us if she would like to take in a baby goat whose mother had rejected it. Of course nothing is cuter than a baby goat, and since we had access to a nice shed and pen she said "of course". The kid was a girl. We named her Flora.
It soon became apparent that Flora was not well. She was not eating well, and suffered from seizures. In or effort to provide for her, we purchased her mother, Flicka, from the farmer, as well as Flicka's other baby girl, whom we named Fauna. We milked Flicka to bottle-feed Flora.
Before long Fauna began to show the same symptoms as Flora. Her eyes would roll back in her head, her body would stiffen, and she would evidence seizures. We knew nothing whatsoever about goats, and the farmer we'd gotten them from had no suggestions as to the cause of their problems or how to cure them.
We found a veterinarian to consult, and he, too, was at a loss to diagnose or cure these two baby goats. Meanwhile we moved our bed onto the floor in the living room so we could keep the kids with us and tend them through the night. It was very distressing to be so helpless. Eventually, within a few months, both babies died. Flora died first, then Fauna, who had seemed to be getting better and was now living back out in the shed with Flicka, got out of the stall, wandered off, and fell into San Gregorio Creek, where she was swept away to the ocean. This left us with Flicka as our only goat.
Meanwhile we had fallen in love with goats. Something about their personality and intelligence had won our hearts. We were also in love with the country and rural lifestyle. Renting on that particular property in San Gregoria, however, was not working out, so we began to look for another home. It occurred to us that if we could find a place where we could have goats, we would be happy living there, so we made that a requirement in our search.
After months of searching, we found a place we could afford to buy in Ben Lomond, in the Santa Cruz mountains. The place had been a horse property, and had a corral and shed suitable for goats. So, on November 11, 1995, we moved there, bringing Flicka with us.
After this move we quickly learned that "an only goat is a lonely goat". Having recently lost her kids, and being all alone down in the corral, Flicka was extremely upset. She would stand by the fence, look at the house, and bawl. It was such a problem that we had to bring her up to the back yard and even into the kitchen to console her and provide the companionship she needed.
This could not go on. It was obvious that Flicka needed the companionship of other goats. Searching the local classifieds we came across an add for two goats that were nearby. Their owners had died and their home was being sold. We visited the place and saw the goats. They were two females, Ma and Brownie. They had been the beloved pets of Page Smith, a well-known professor, writer and animal lover. Ma was very old, and crippled so that she walked on her knees with her front legs. Brownie looked young and fit. We offered to purchase Brownie, but were told that they must go together. You can see, at that time we still had a lot to learn about goats and goat society. It did seem the right thing to do, however, so we took them both. We brought them home and Flicka was happy.
The property was located in the San Lorenzo Valley on Highway 9, a busy road. The corral was in the front of the property, and it was impossible for passersby not to see the goats there. Soon we had people dropping by inquiring if we might take in their goat. Occasionally, other's asked if they might get a goat from us. From this it became apparent that there was a need for someone to provide a home for pet goats that could no longer be kept, and there was an interest by others in having goats as pets. This was the beginning of Goat Rescue.
As we adopted more goats, we needed a way to inform people about the availability of some of these for placement, so we launched www.goatrescue.org, the Goat Rescue web site. This was the first -- and for many years the only -- goat rescue website on the internet. This site, petgoats.org, is the latest incarnation of that.
People need to find homes for their pet goats for the same reason that they do for pet dogs and cats. One way or another, their circumstances change and they are no longer able to care for them. Perhaps they were their childrens pets, but the children have grown and gone off to school. Perhaps their is a divorce or a forced relocation due to a new job. There are many reasons. Sometimes they have had two goats, and one dies, leaving the other alone. Rather than get another goat, they prefer to give up the remaining one.
Our herd consists of some goats that we will never place, because of our attachment to them, their age, infirmity, or perhaps their personalities or attachments to other herd members. At the same time, there are always "pet quality" goats that need homes, whether they are with us, or if we know about them through communications with their current owners.