Old Victor slips away

Somewhere between 8:45 and 10:00 this morning, Old Victor died. I had greeted him this morning at 8:30 as I entered the barn. I was going riding so feedings would wait until I got back. This is a routine the barnyard is used to, and it makes it less chaotic for me to get to my ride on time.

On returning, I went about my business feeding which has an order of who gets fed first keeping everything going smoothly-as much as possible anyway. Victor, Sophie, Professor and Only Duck live in a large stall at night and are usually fed last, so I can attend to Victor's needs. Every morning and night, I lifted him up so I could clean his bedding and give him some relief for laying down all the time. For the past month, he has not been able to even hop as he used to, so he would simply lay back down again.

I knew it was only a matter of time before his system would just shut down, but there hadn't been any signs of distress yet. When I opened the stall door and saw him clearly dead, I called to him.

I lay my head on his and said,

"Oh, Victor, I'm happy for you. You were such a sweet man."

It appeared to be a quick death, no signs of trauma near by. It was time. He and I had discussed it several times. The only reason I hadn't helped him on his way yet is he seemed quite content and was not having any trouble staying upright once he was laying down [a cast goat can die quickly if not helped upright]. He had a smile in the morning and night and ate well. The torrential rains have kept everyone working over time on flooded roads and driveways, and I just kept thinking we could get along, him and I, for a few more weeks unless he took a turn for the worst. And we did get along just fine.

But there were several times when I helped him up when I sensed he was getting tired of it all. When I would enter the stall, he would try so hard to get up, but in time, he just positioned himself in a way that indicated he knew I was going to help him. It was also getting hard to keep him clean, and eventually that could have created health issues too.

I spent a lot of time with this gentleman, and that he was, a gentleman. He never had an ill head toss towards another goat, and we all know he always had a smile on his old face. He is like many elders, crippled, doing their best in nursing homes, unable to clean themselves or even move without aid. Some turn sour, some try to smile through it. Victor took the latter route.

I am not sad today, I'm relieved for him, and you should be too. As in any death here, I let the barnyard come into the stall to see the body. They of course were way ahead of me, and took it in stride. But it's also important for me to let them see me with the body, as it is my final convenant with that creature-to take care of his remains swiftly and as best I can. Martyn happened to be home as we are expecting more torrential rains and he helped me dig a grave. All around us the Misfits nibbled on grass and old pumpkins-except Sophie, who remained in the stall area to eat hay on her own. I sensed she felt the loss, and interestingly enough, she was much more personable today. I have seen this happen-the caregiver animal of a bonded pair loses the other animal, and then they blossom a bit, free from the responsibility of watching out for their friend.

I had my phone with me and took these crude images- a sequence that lasted about 2 minutes. Sophie showed me the body, I reassured her I would take care of him, Marcella came in and inspected the area around the body, and then smelled Victor's death, and then went on her way. Benedetto stayed out in the barn, his usual approach to death-letting Marcella deal with it.

The beautiful light that then fell on Sophie as she looked up to the stall ceiling moved me–what caught her eye? Light, spirit or just a breeze?

Marcella continues her nightly duties

Last night, Marcella took up her spot with Old Victor, testing his hay, laying with him, and just making sure she was protecting him from wandering bears, coyotes, dinosaurs and out of line Misfits.

In which I talk like Pooh Bear

Old Victor and Marcella have their routine. In morning and at night feedings, Marcella enters the stall and lays with Victor-I like to think it is to make sure he is okay, or that he is still with us, but I also think she has an innate passion to test the hay for quality! She loves to get right in the hay and eat it.When I put hay out for the group, Marcella always puts herself in the middle, and they eat all around her. This is a very common trait of Maremmas-and I suppose other guard breeds.

The light is so beautiful at these moments in the barn–makes my photography not that good, but sometimes I catch a second that is astounding when I am in it-like the way the honey colored light lays on Victor's white coat, as if Goegres de la Tour had painted it himself.

I am unsure if Victor will make it through the winter. I am watching. I don't want him to suffer and he is getting up less and less. But what I am doing-I am enjoying his company. I always do, but often it is a rushed time if I have to get back to the studio or have an errand. After so many losses this summer of elders that were glue in my heart-Aldo, Stevie, Priscilla, Rudy-and so many others-I am aware of our tenuous lives here. Who knows who will go tomorrow-it might be me. I must drink it up, be fully present, as much is as possible.

I was trying to reach a one word synopsis of what it is like to sit with Victor, while he munches hay, the light on his head, Marcella near by me, and  the other animals in the near distance all grinding and swallowing Earth's feathered grasses, the smells of mud, rams, breath and rain all around.

One word, what would it be?

I decided it had to be...here.

We are nowhere else but here, we are not in yesterday, or next week and we aren't thinking about Sunday because it is Tuesday and Tuesday is just fine, until tomorrow when it will be Wednesday.

I am beginning to talk like Pooh Bear.

Old Victor cohabitating with Only Duck

I thought how the light hit Victor's head in this photo last night made him seem so other worldly. Perhaps he's already been knighted by goat spirits and his body just needs to catch up. This morning I watched him munch hay, and all the other animals were out and about in other parts of the barn, chomping too. An eating animal is a content animal. I thought of all the animals I had sat with in that same stall–young lambs, dying ewes, broken hearted goats, lonely ducks, hurt roosters and still borns.
So the light on his head...I like to think of it has combined spirit dust saying,

It's okay, when the time comes, it will be okay, for him and you.

I made the decision to move Old Victor from the Lower Misfit Village to the upper barn. While there is dry shelter down there, there is just more opportunity to slip in mud spots. If you don't know Victor he was born with a defect that makes him crippled in the hind end, and now after years of compensating for that, his front end is weakening. He has been losing balance much more now, and landing in cold mud on occasion. I also noticed he is not able to move around as much in general, and getting to the hay breakfast is harder.

He and I had a heck of a time getting him up the barn, as we had to travel though Boone's paddock which in some areas is pretty mucky after the torrential weekend rains. He kept falling. It was sad, he is such a good spirited fellow. It took about 30 minutes to walk 300 feet, as we had to rest a lot because he just doesn't have the strength.

He is now cohabitating with Only Duck in a comfy, warm stall, and I carry his water to him to lesson his chance of tripping. I will be watching him closely in the coming days and weeks.

I sit with him at feedings, usually in silence. He is a personable creature and does enjoy company. His companion, Sophie, has tendered up a lot, and she has the same deformity but is not as crippled and is actually quite the little sassy thing, so she stayed down below. She kind of separated from him after months here–I see this over and over again, a pair comes in dependent on each other for safety and one is often more of a caretaker to the other, but in time the caretaker will often venture out as the surroundings become safe to them.

Sunday Smile Parade with Victor

Victor just smiles, all the time, I can't explain it. But considering his past, it is inspiring that this very crippled goat puts on the best smile voguing show every day for me. I spent time this morning with him, he loves to have my company away from the maddening crowds.

Sweet Old Victor

Old Victor is no longer using his front leg, he looks pretty bad to you I'm sure but he has added some good weight after arriving emancipated.a very sweet soul-we'll see how he goes into winter. (Copyright Apifera Farm) #lifewithgoats #specialneedsanimals #ApiferaFarm

A video posted by Katherine Dunn / Apifera Farm (@katherinedunnapiferafarm) on Jul 15, 2015 at 5:31pm PDT

You know, I'm posting several things today on the blog. So much happens here on a daily basis that I might have days where I do multiple posts. I started this blog to share my stories of the animals and farm, and one post a day doesn't always do that. Besides, I'm beginning the new book in my head and it is a good thing for me to start writing short spurts.



Our dear Old Victor. He is perhaps the most challenged. I am guarded about him going into winter this year now that he is not using his front leg. The shoulder is not pooed as it might look on first glance. Since he has never had proper alignment or the ability to put all his weight on his hind end due to his condition from birth, it will only get worse for his front end. I watch him very closely for signs that he is simply running out of 'desire', and so far, I haven't seen it.

Victor has other issues too. When rescued by New Moon Farm, he and Sophie were so matted they couldn't find his penis. He was skeletal thin, and has put on weight but is still worse off than Sophie who is really looking pretty good.

What a sweet soul he is though. Not a quitter, that's for sure. Since I put him in the Lower Misfit Village, he seems to zoom around more, probably due to the softer surface. He is a very good and happy eater, which is a blessing for me.

I will keep our covenant to him-to watch for his time.

In which Victor forgives his haircut

After three separate days of trimming, I think Victor's hair cut is done. I will honestly admit this to all of you-it is probably the World's Worst Haircut on record.

But, I did my best, as did Victor.

"It's okay," he seemed to say, "I don't care what it looks like, it feels really good."

I do miss his locks, which are now in my studio and being used on my sewn Raggedy Creatures.

Sheering Victor is problematic because of his deformity and condition. He can not lay on his side for more than 5 minutes and even that is probably very uncomfortable for him. Nor can he stand still, he has to constantly shift his three good feet. In the past months, he is not using his front leg to put weight on anymore. We don't know why, but his body is so messed up that his shoulders are probably giving out.

When I worked on him, he was a real trooper, but he–and I–could only take so much at a time. It was really hard on my body too because of how I had to trim him while he sat down in the position he likes–it was the only way to keep him still.

This is case where I am wondering if the quality of Victor's life is worth what is most likely a lot of discomfort. Now that he isn't using one leg, I just don't know if it is right for him, to keep him going. His disposition is good, so I haven't made any decisions. He is tripping more when he gets up, due to his weakening.

In the meantime, he still loves to sit on the compost pile in the sun, and that is the best thing I can give him right now. Sweet, old, crippled Victor.

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Victor resting

Victor has not been putting any weight on his front foot. His foot is not warm but his knee to upper leg is. I am thinking he strained it somehow. Poor fellow. When you are already pretty crippled having one less leg is problematic. He still gets around but I'm trying to arrange things so he is staying at rest.

But he still loves breakfast!

Victor back to his normal self

A reader asked me for an update on old Victor-and I felt horribly, as I neglected to post here on that. I had updated on Facebook, but not here- the woes of social media overload.

And Victor, I'm relieved to say, is doing really well. After the initial couple of days of no eating and being unable to stand without falling, he came through. It took a bout a week where I felt safe to give a sigh of relief. I don't know if it was a rumen issue-which is all I could treat him for- or something else. His condition and issues will most likely be problematic as he grows older. But it sure is good to have him walking around again-or as much as Victor ever walks. He does like to get out though and has special places he usually heads towards before laying down. I did note that Sophie has really put on some descent weight [needs more, for sure] but that Victor hasn't added as much as her. We will keep working on that. I have coats ready for them this winter-thanks to some kind souls who donated old dog coats! I'm afraid winter might be hard on him.

Part of caring for the old, neglected ones is you have to learn to accept the outcome isn't always what you would plan for. Sometimes, an animal arrives like Victor who was severely neglected, starved really, and they don't pull through even after they gain a bit of weight. i always feel that some animals arrive and just feel it is safe, they sense what I do here, and they 'let go', where as others have a will to continue on.

And even though I believe that, I have grown fond of Victor and I was so relieved to see him turn around. He is so gentle and sweet and agreeable, trying to always get to his food without getting in the way too much [unlike Floyd, who I call "The Couch" because he is huge and always there no matter where I am.]

So raise a toast to Victor who doesn't let his physical limitations get in the way of being kind to the herd and shepherdess.

Victor falls ill

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Victor was not able to get up yesterday morning. He wouldn't eat or drink. I helped him get up but it almost seemed that put him into a state of over all body shaking. If you don't know this kind gentleman, he has many issues, including the fact he has a crippling condition that makes it impossible for him to walk correctly. he is unable to firmly put his hind legs down. X-Rays were taken at the former sanctuary and it has to due with his spine, and it is what it is, it will not get better and he's lived with it a long time.

I continued to assess him through the next hours. I helped up again and he was able to walk about 5 feet and then he'd collapse. So I wondered if his front end was caving on him out of weakness, since for years it has done all the lifting. If you ever see Victor get up and down, it is a long process. I got him to a favorite soft spot in the shade and let him be.

And there was another sign that shook me.

Sophie, his long time partner, also affected by the same condition but not as severely crippled, had separated herself from him. She is usually very observant and almost protective of his whereabouts. Animals move on differently than we do and I felt she sensed he was leaving. {And obviously some of this is instinct-in the wild you would not want to be with a fallen comrade too long.}

Upon returning for dinner feedings, Victor was in the same spot. When I helped him up, he shook all over like he was going into a spasm. He walked with my assistance about 3 feet, and totally collapsed. He also was stressed-teeth grinding and a slower breathing, like a sheep in quiet labor. I got him into his main stall, with some more falling and got him comfortable and calm. His temp was only slightly elevated. While he drank water for me in the morning, he would not drink. I could tell he felt lousy and he turned his head, he wanted to be alone and free of touch. Sophie stood far away looking in, but never went to him. I gave him probiotic and vitamin B fortified to help his appetite.

This morning, I was surprised but pleased that he rose on his own. He was wobbly, but he rose. He was totally clogged with feces-large soft clay like lumps, not pellets. I cleaned him up and thought the fact it was firm and not runny was a positive sign. I got hm to a corner and he lay down, and he did nibble on grain and hay, and drank for me.

I have him contained today with Floyd and Sophie. I'll medicate him again and hope for the best. His attitude seemed better this morning, but he still is not his usual self. But maybe it was just a rumen issue or a slight bug.

I gave him my usual speech last night-it's okay to do whatever you need too, I love you, everything is okay no matter what, and I sat with him without words for awhile and then left. I think silence communing with an animal is so calming and helpful for both them and me. When I'm sick, I don't need words, I need silence and sleep.

It's part of the deal, working with elders, and elders that were completely malnourished for a long time. It's really a miracle he made it this far. I was happy to note that Sophie has put on a lot of weight, but Victor not as much. He might just have his limits.

But he is resting and we will guide and help all we can and let go if needed.

Wait for the inner animal to come to you

I've learned to never judge the rascals, the trouble makers, the quiet ones, the scared ones-for they all show up with their true inner selves if given a consistent environment-over months and sometimes years-to feel safe.

One of the perks of living with a bunch of elders is this-that face. And with each minute movement of his head while I sat in front of him with a camera, another pose to warm the heart and aching bones.

This is Victor, I've spoken of him before of course. he arrived with his best mate, Sophie, and the old sheep who really is a big old dog, Floyd.

While I doted a lot on Floyd that first month of his stay-there was no way to avoid this as Floyd became my shadow, my giant shadow with his back coming up to my waist. He just needed me so much. That is what i felt like and he has calmed a lot.

But Victor and Sophie were more in the background, making sure they could find places to rest without being knocked around by the younger bunch they live with–Wilbur the Acrobatic Goat, Goose, Moose, The Head Troll-and a bunch of ducks, old goose and two bulldozer pigs–they were wise to figure things out before relaxing with this new place they now call home. While I immediately saw the love in Victor's eyes on arrival, and he was very personable, it is only now I have felt a bond forming with him, and Sophie into me and my care. Sophie arrived and hung back, watching Victor and making sure all was well before she ventured around much, but she is much more self assured now. Her personality is blossoming more. She was more shy about back scratches and hugs, but now she loves to lean into the stall wall at night while I rub her cheeks. Victor was easy to love from day one, Sophie is one of those animals that as you get to know her you truly fall for her inner being, once you get to see it a few times. I've learned to never judge the rascals, the trouble makers, the quiet ones, the scared ones-for they all show up with their true inner selves if given a consistent environment-over months and sometimes years-to feel safe.

They are still very thin. You can't see it here, but they are racks, their hip areas are sunken if you felt through their soft wool. But they are gaining, slowly, and eating well and are very happy. They sleep in a large area with Floyd at night to assure they don't get played with by Marcella [although she is really growing out of this baby behavior] and to assure proper feeding morning and night. But they love their barnyard and have special spots they hang out, like down by the lower Misfit area where the shade of Stevie's hut can't be resisted on a hot day.

I am so glad I got to take these two on, and that New Moon Goat Farm and Sanctuary helped them from their neglect and matted condition. That smile, that gentle nudge from Sophie to Victor that I caught on camera, that is one of the many rewards of helping old, wounded creatures-to see them come back to life, to give them even a year or two of safety so they can just grow old and continue to be themselves as best they can, until they die.

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Another crippled elder wins the heart

Victor arrived this summer, with his pal Sophie. He is crippled in the spine and hips making him walk very oddly, and he never completely puts his hind feet down, so when he walks it is like he is going to tip over. Sophie has the same deformity, but is much better off and it is less noticable. When Victor lies down, it takes him about one minute of posing in the position you see in the photo below, and then he somehow gets his legs down.

But he such a sweet guy. So is Sophie, but she is more shy and less personable [now]. Victor on the other hand is not afraid to get right in there when something is going on. He realized right away that I was the one that would protect him if there was too much gang activity going on...um, that would be Marcella and Wilbur...and Earnest.

Sometimes I'll be doing something and a soft white mass shows up at my side, and I assume it is Marcella, and it usually is, but right behind there is usually a Victor.

They arrived horribly thin and they have put some weight on. They sleep in the same area as our beloved Floyd-who is also doing royally and continues to be a big old dog.

I think what is interesting to point out about Victor and Sophie is that they are starting to blossom. They have been shuffled around a bit, landing at the goat rescue up in Washington, and then down here. They most likely think this is the way it goes, we'll leave again, why bond with anyone? But animals settle in pretty well with a solid routine of eat, rest, play, eat again, rest, play, go to bed. They know they have clean water and shelter from a storm, and a herd. The herd might be made up of a grumpy pig and a bunch of short statured goats unlike any they've seen-but it is their herd now.

It's always rewarding to watch an animal regain some physical strength through nurturing, and watch their true personalities come out over time. Each day they gain confidence and get more relaxed with the new environment. I was worried about Victor when he arrived, and winter is coming so who knows, but I am relaxing my worry a bit. He and Sophie still need a lot of weight and he does have so many physical issues. But right now I'm just glad I took these soft, gentle souls on.

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Poodle goats

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There is some confusion amongst The Misfits.

"They are Poodles," said Little Moose.

"Good grief, no, they are lambs," said Wilbur the Acrobatic Goat as he flew by to get to the upper paddock, spying berries in the bramble.

"I am a goat," said Victor, calmly, quietly.

"You are all not very worldly!" snapped Sophie, definitely the sassy of the pair.

Victor is such a sweet guy. After all he has been through, he is trusting and calm. Sophie is a bit of a protector, although Victor is not a wimp by any means. They do stick together but are unfazed by the chaos of the other animals coming and going. It is wonderful to see how calm they are. They stay out of trouble–which means avoiding The Head Troll and Marcella– and seem to have found a routine of eating hay with the gang, then going out to find a shady spot. I was so pleased to see them sitting in my Monkey Hut! I will see if I can catch it in a photo.

They are still very bony and thin, which you can't see with their curls. But the eating routine of giving them a private stall to eat their food at night helps. Ernest is totally on to the set up, however, which is a challenge , so their stall has been made into a small version of Fort Knox.

Melting Misfits

Thank you to everyone who has donated [with book rewards] to our Misfits and barn goals. And thank to everyone who has been buying art and books- it all goes swirling around and comes out helping me maintain the Misfits and share story with art and books.

The new Misfits are settling in. With Marcella, it is not as smooth as it could be, but she is doing okay and has already quit bugging Floyd...sort of. It is another round of hot days. We are always about 5 degrees hotter than Portland-so if anyone tells you it is always lovely and cool in the Northwest-they don't know what they are talking about. The valley gets hot.I won't go into my feeling on heat...because why ruin your day with me whining.

But we're all seeking shade where we can. Actually, the animals are very stoic about it. I found Scooby spread eagle out in the field and thought he was dead. I called and called and he didn't answer. But he was just sun bathing in 90 degree heat. Very funny, I told him, nearly gave me a heart attack. I made him get up and move.

Stevie spends most of the day in his cloth draped hut, getting up in early evening to wander around. His ear that had the hematoma is shrinking and will be wrinkled for life. Just another lovely quirk of this gentleman. He is doing great and there are no further signs of trouble like we had in June–no falling or casting. I'm just not sure what that was all about, but I'm relieved.

Floyd is not a sheep, as I have mentioned. He is a dog. He follows me everywhere, bleating. it is sweet, but I'm hoping he settles more. As we speak he is outside the studio door, bleating, like a lamb that was just weaned. I brought him down into the War Vet area as I call it–where the most crippled and old live, away from Marcella and the younger, spry Misfits in the barnyard. I wanted to see if he might feel more at home down here. He just seems to want me with him all the time, then he is fine. He bleats less now when I leave the barn, so I think it will all be fine. I wish I knew his history. He has a hole in his ear so was tagged once. I wonder if he was a working ram in a flock, and they couldn't bare to slaughter him in the end so neutered him. But I'm not sure he'd be this personable. Perhaps he was a 4H project and they decided to keep him.

Victor and Sophie are a challenge to get fed, and it takes some coordination and special setups to get them to eat all their food, and not have Ernest or Rosie show up and squeeze through their stall doors. This is the mayhem time–a period of days or a week or two where I wonder if I'm nuts, but then it all settles in, and down.

So for now, we nap when we can, a lesson the pigs taught me.

The arrival

If you'd like to chip in for the new arrivals, please do and thank you too. We're increasing food consumption by 3 mouths- and they all have skinny bodies-that's about 7 additional pounds of feed a day.

They arrived on a hot afternoon, but came out of the trailer like immigrants looking over their new land, their home.

I got Floyd out first. He is a 13 year old wether sheep, most likely a Katahdin cross. I have never taken on a sheep due to the health of our own working flock, but I had a crush on Floyd for awhile, and something in him just spoke to me. And I am so glad. He is more like a giant dog than a sheep. He likes to go where I go, or stand next me and just hang out. When I leave, he bleats. When I arrive, he bleats. He is settling in, but the heat has made it uncomfortable even though there is plenty of shade. In time, he will find his place. Floyd is pretty arthritic, but not as crippled as I thought he was going to be. His pasterns are slightly fallen, and he will need supplemental feed at his age. But his teeth are good. he has a mystery skin issue on his rear end that the former vet could not figure out, and lots of work was done on it by the last rescue [New Moon Goat Farm], so we will just watch it for now.

But I will say this, Floyd is an exceptional creature. A bit on the Stevie wavelength-soulful, loving, kind, people oriented more than animal oriented.

I am more concerned about Victor. He is so thin, due to past neglect, and he is also a very slow eater. I watched him eat, and Sophie ate much of the food. I will need to separate them so I can make sure he is getting adequate feed. He was 50/50 survival rate when he landed at New Moon last month, so I do hope we can get quality weight on him. He has a great attitude, and is not bothered by his deformity in the hind end, although he needs to lay down a lot, so it does cause discomfort to stand. It is like his back legs don't stretch right, and he has all his weight on the front. Sophie is going to be fine once weight is put on her. I have found that sometimes in these severe neglect animals, they can have chronic sickness, and some don't make it. But we will always proceed with hope.

There is always chaos in the initial introductions here amongst new Misfits. And this time, we have the added element of Marcella the guard dog. The latter did very well for a 7 month old, I will admit, but she adds a new dimension to my tasks at this stage in her guarding career-in other words, she can really be a pain in the patuzzi! All in all though, she is not play chasing as much, and stops sooner when I say 'stop'.

These aren't great shots, but I am so tired in the heat, and all the excitement and chaos of new additions. They don't do anyone justice, but these were taken about an hour after arrival. Marcella is being pretty good today, and I left the new ones contained last night. I think eventually they will get along in the lower Misfit herd-where the most crippled are. But for now I want them up in the upper barn as I have more fenced stalls. See, I need that new barn!

Thank you to Ellen at New Moon for helping them, and to Cheryl Munson and her friend for making the 12 hour round trip to bring them here. It really helped me out!

More elder Misfits coming to Apifera!

I have two exciting things to share today-they both deserve equal time. But I will start with the wonderful news that three more senior creatures are arriving from New Moon Goat Farm Sanctuary in the next couple of weeks.

I have had a crush on Floyd since I saw him a couple of months ago. He is an elder statesman, and from I hear, already has a fan club up at New Moon-many were happy he was coming to Apifera, but let out a big sigh when they heard he was leaving. Floyd is a 13 year old mixed-breed wether sheep. I have never taken in a sheep, as to protect the health of my own flock, but Floyd is an exception for me. He just spoke to me. This is usually how it happens-I see an animal and we have some kind of internal conversation through our eyes, and it grows over the days. In time it becomes apparent to me that animal is meant to come here-for whatever reason. I do seem to have a knack for bonding with the ones near death, but that is okay, I am attracted to hospice work with animals. But, We hope Floyd will be with us for a long while, although he is 13. We hear he is the biggest, goofiest, friendliest sheep you'll ever meet. Sounds like a fit-and maybe a nice change for Stevie, since Floyd is tall. Sometimes I wonder if Stevie looks around and thinks,

"Everyone is so squat around here except me."

We are also bringing home two elder goats that were severely neglected. Victor was the worst off, and now has a deformed spine and hips causing him to walk oddly, but he seems to be pretty content according to Ellen and she notes he adores people. He will be coming with Sophie, an 8 year old Angora doe who is "sassy". If you want to see the work New Moon did when they first acquired Victor, here is a brief look. Victor was so matted for so long that he was raw under the wool, including his penis. His feet were horrible and I'm sure will give him trouble as he ages. They still have a ways to go to gain weight but have a new start on life thanks to New moon's efforts, and now ours.

I'm so excited to meet them. When I decide to take an animal on, I get very anxious before their arrival, as I feel like they know they are coming. This mystical connection is something I truly feel, no matter how woo woo it might sound to some. Some animals seem to have a stronger energy, but I always am relieved for everyone when they are on the ground, here, safe and open to a new life, even if it is the end of a life.

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