Helen Woodward Animal Center staff members are familiar with the unfortunate number of abandoned cats and dogs who come through the Center doors. Many have suffered from neglect and severe malnutrition and are in need of medical care and prayers for a miracle. A tiny baby goat rescued under these conditions, however, is rare indeed and one traveling all the way from Nevada on her one-month birthday deserves a bit of fanfare.
This Monday, you are invited to meet Helen Woodward’s newest resident, Millie the Kid! The delicate, exactly one-month-old goat has already proven that she is ready to take the world by storm and is excited to begin her life as the youngest member of the Humane Education team. Millie is set to arrive by van at noon on Monday, June 18th, in front of the adoptions entrance and a group of Critter Campers will be waiting to welcome her to her new home!
Millie was born on May 18th and was turned into a Las Vegas animal shelter, near death, only days later. Her backstory is troubling. Born to a mother whose milk was dry, her owner passed Millie on to another person who had a nursing mother goat, hoping the baby would take to her. She didn’t. The second owner of Millie allegedly tried to bottle feed her over several days but Millie never took the food and was never taken to a doctor for help. Four days after her birth, Millie was found in the back of a hot car in a hotel parking garage, unable to stand or hold up her head. Animal control was called to rescue her and she was turned into the local shelter with little hope of survival.
Taken in by foster mom Monique Hanson, the grueling battle began.
Hanson even started a Facebook page with videos and updates – Millie: Princess Goat – for her growing number of well-wishers. (https://www.facebook.com/pg/Millie-Princess-Goat-979371505574030/videos/?ref=page_internal.)
Goats enter the world without an immune system and build their immune systems through their mother's first milk, colostrum. For this reason, the first few days of a goat’s life are critical to their survival. Left to fend for themselves they become frail and underweight and worse, develop severe infections they are unable to fight.
An upper respiratory infection, a bad eye infection and a severe UTI, all contributed to the near complete shutdown of Millie’s tiny body. By May 31st, after multiple vet visits, formula feedings every 4 hours, antibiotics, nebulizer treatments 2-3 times daily, and hundreds of dollars in medical expenses, all leading to little improvement, experts felt that her body had been permanently compromised. It seemed the kindest thing was to stop Millie’s suffering and put her down.
Millie, however, had the spunk of a goat and was ready to show the world what she was made of. Hanson brought the tiny goat home with her to enjoy one last night in a comfortable bed. Millie made sure her foster mother was never out of her sight, “yelling” for her mom, if she ever left the room. The two slept side by side.
Cynthia Elizabeth from Nevada based Urban Underdogs Corp., reached out to Helen Woodward President and CEO Mike Arms at the Center’s most recent Business of Saving Lives Conference held in Pahrump, Nevada. Elizabeth had assisted Hanson with the tiny goat, picking up medicine and supplies and fostering Millie during part of her recovery.
WHERE:
Helen Woodward Animal Center – 6523 Helen Woodward Way, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
Our normal main entrance on El Apajo Road is closed due to construction, please use the Helen Woodward Way address above.
WHERE:
Monday, June 18th @ approximately noon
Millie is arriving by a van departing Nevada early Monday morning. For more information on Helen Woodward Animal Center, please go to www.animalcenter.org, call 858-756-4117 or stop by 6523 Helen Woodward Way.
