Please help Zuri, the baby goat, walk and run.

The Story of This GoatFundMe.

The internet abounds with videos of baby goats, well... bounding.

And why not?  What is cuter and more life-affirming than the young, enjoying all that life has to offer.

But sometimes life isn't fair, and Zuri was born into just such a situation.  She and her twin came into the world on a very cold night and the elements took their toll on their wet and tiny bodies.

For Zuri, it meant that both hind feet had severe frostbite damage.

I saw an ad for her-- giving her away at 5 weeks as a "pet" or a "meat goat".  It said that she'd lose both feet.

I couldn't imagine someone taking her, allowing her to stay in pain (frostbite is exceedingly painful once the feeling begins to return), letting her feet fall off but doing nothing for them and keeping her alive long enough to eat her.

It was clear she needed to come here, to Twin Heart Animal Sanctuary in Tappen, British Columbia, Canada. www.facebook.com/twinheartsanctuary 

I was finally able to pull together transportation and Zuri was brought to my arms. 

She was terrified, in grief (she'd been with her mother and twin up until that day), in pain from her feet, and horribly itchy from lice.  She screamed whenever I put her down and absolutely refused a bottle.



I placed her on my lap in the recliner and cuddled her to convince her she was safe.  There we slept for the next week until she was confident enough to sleep next to me in a crate.

I'd made an appointment with my vet for the next morning and we drove the hour to get x-rays.  It was clear that the left foot had bone damage and would come off.  That happened the next day.  I bandaged the stump and placed foam pipe insulation around it (as a type of splint), finishing it up with vetrap.  Much of her pain was gone now that the dead part was as well, and she soon learned to walk on the "cast".

Because of the bone damage, she will have to have surgery on the stump.  At this point, we're not sure what will happen with the other foot.  It's clear that the heels are coming off along with a piece of skin, and a her little hooves haven't grown since birth.

The surgery will be approximately $1,000.

Next comes prosthetics.   Because she is growing so fast, the maker will produce as many as needed until the final one at maturity.  This will cost about $5,000 Canadian dollars.

Although it's possible to fashion a type of "peg leg", it is no where near ideal-- will not give her the range of motion she needs, and will not fit properly.



I've not yet gotten the invoice for the initial consultation and x-rays, and there will be more appointments as we travel this journey.  Hence, the extra $1,000.  Plus, much more bandaging material will be needed along with pain medication during the healing phase.

This little girl is one of, if not THE sweetest little goat kids I've ever known.  She stares into our eyes for long periods at a time as if trying to commune with our very souls.  Zuri has to have her bandage changed daily and she lies on Harry's lap, quietly without objection, to allow me to do just that.

Zuri, like every baby of every species, deserves to be given a chance at her best life.

If you can, please help us help her do just that.  Even a few dollars adds up.  If you can't donate, please share.

Zuri has had a horrendous and painful start to her life.  We'd like to make sure that ends and she is given a new, pain-free beginning-- full of running and jumping and climbing, and love....


PS: We are a registered non-profit (Twin Heart Animal Sanctuary Society) but, after careful consideration for several years, because of several restrictions, have decided against being a registered charity.  Therefore, we are unable to give tax receipts.

You will, however, receive our undying gratitude and that of a bouncing little goat.