Spring 2001 | Contents

Animals Rescued after Years in Chains

"Can you take a goat?" The call came from our local humane society. "She was removed from a neglect situation, and she's with the vet right now." Although our barn space was extremely limited, we always try to save room for abuse cases. I told the officer to bring her by, and went out to set up a stall.

When the van arrived, I walked up carrying a rope, planning to lead the new goat to the barn. But it was soon evident that she could not walk, or even stand on her own. The humane officers pulled her out on a stretcher, and explained that her "owner" had been keeping dozens of animals chained outside for years without shelter. The goat had been down for several days in below freezing temperatures, and had been unable to get to food or water. A woman on horseback had spotted her, and reported the situation to the police.

Weak from starvation, Kerry needed the help of a sling to stand and walk.

Emaciated and exhausted, she could barely lift her head. We carried her to a nice warm barn, filled with fresh straw, and propped her up between two bales of hay. She sniffed us nervously and we stroked her neck, telling her she was safe now.

The vet report noted that the goat was severely dehydrated and had evidence of urine scalding on her legs, from being forced to lay in her own waste. Given that her hind legs appeared to be non-functional, the vet felt her prognosis was poor, and gave her only a 50 percent chance for survival. We were left with instructions to try to walk her with the use of a sling every 3 hours. The officers reported they were planning to confiscate the remaining animals in a few days, which included another goat, a young cow, and 20 horses. We agreed to assist with the rescue, and to take the remaining goat and cow. The new goat, who was now weakly munching on fresh hay, was named Kerry, after the police officer responsible for saving her.

Over the next few days we spent many hours nursing Kerry back to health. At first she refused to drink, so we injected fluids under her skin, and put water into her mouth with a syringe. We pulled her up with the help of a sling several times a day and helped her to slowly shuffle around. The strength began to come back into her legs, and on the third morning, when she finally uttered a very weak "maaah" as a greeting, we knew she was on the road to recovery.

Camille (left) and Violet were tethered by chains with no water or shelter.

The same day that Kerry began to recover I was able to see for myself what conditions she had been forced to live in. Apparently the owner had lived illegally for years on park property, collecting and selling animals. Out of sight and far from any road was what looked like a large junkyard full of trash, ancient tractors and campers, and two teepees made of tarps. Spread out and in the middle of all this trash were a goat (now named Camille), a cow (Violet), and dozens of horses and ponies, all tethered by heavy chains that prevented their movement outside of a small circle. There were no barns or shelter of any kind, and the animals had been forced to endure snow, wind, rain, and the blazing heat of summer, without any protection from the elements. Some of the animals had empty bowls near them, and they were all very thirsty and drank immediately when offered water. As the horses and ponies were removed first by Days End Horse Rescue, I stood near the still chained goat, Camille. Despite the commotion around her, she exhibited no interest or excitement, and continued to lay there dejectedly with her head on the ground, apparently unable to hope that her life was about to change. Once her chain was cut, however, Camille sprang up and walked eagerly onto the trailer with Violet the cow.

Back at the Sanctuary over the next few weeks, Kerry the goat continued to grow stronger. She began to be able to stand on her own and soon was gingerly walking and stretching her legs. Meanwhile, Camille and Violet were kept in a separate area, where they could be treated for the many parasites they were found to have. On the day when all three were released from their quarantines, it was truly a sight to see. These animals, who had not been able to move more than a few feet in any direction, were all running, jumping and playing with abandon. Violet the cow ran like a racehorse to the far end of the pasture to meet the other Sanctuary cows, who greeted her with gentle sniffing, then leapt around excitedly with her. Kerry and Camille had an emotional (for us) reunion. Apparently in their former life they were close friends, as on seeing each other they jumped up in the air, put their heads together, and then nuzzled each other with affection. They have been inseparable ever since.

It is moments like this that make all the hard work of running a Sanctuary truly worthwhile. The owner has since been charged with 23 counts of animal cruelty and will hopefully never put animals in such a terrible situation again.