Chivo was brought to MFS unexpectedly one day in 2011. A family pulled up to the sanctuary and a man got out of his car holding a rather limp little Nubian goat. The man had gone to an auction to buy chickens but had a moment of compassion when he saw the little goat, who cried out when one of the auction handlers picked him up roughly by the scruff of his neck. The man had felt bad for the goat and bought him with a winning bid of $25.
While the man’s family was happy to have a new pet goat, they did not know how to properly care for him and fed him cow’s milk, which resulted in severe constipation. By the time he came to MFS, the little goat, named Chivo, was not drinking and was severally dehydrated and suffering from a bellyache. The family was relieved to know that Chivo would be cared for, and we began treating him and giving IV fluids right away.
Within a few days, Chivo was back to normal, but since he was so little and needed lots of attention, Cheri and Jim kept him in their house in a huge dog crate. When Cheri was inside, Chivo was allowed to come out of the crate, and he would follow her around and keep her company. Besides getting his bottle, Chivo’s favorite activity was lying on fluffy towels that Cheri had taken from the dryer. In fact, one day Cheri found him with half of his body in the dryer, laying his head on the still warm, cozy towels!
When Chivo grew a bit bigger, he joined the other animals in the barn. Today, Chivo still prefers to be as close to Cheri as possible. He’s often a little bossy with other goats and people, but he's loved dearly by volunteers and visitors.
Sadly, we lost our beautiful boy in 2020. He is missed by all.
Below: Chivo getting into mischief in the dryer, and Chivo sleeping soundly in Jim and Cheri's house.
