We have an update about the 7 goats we were hoping to take in, and unfortunately, it’s not the update we were hoping to share.

As part of our intake process, we asked for the goats to be screened for diseases. Unfortunately, the testing identified two diseases that are not currently present at Lily’s Place. Our veterinarian has strongly recommended that we don’t bring the goats into our barn because of the risk of transmitting disease to our existing residents.

We’re honestly heartbroken.

Even if all of the test results had been negative, the goats would have been quarantined within our barn so we could watch for signs of anything that didn’t show up on testing. With the positive results, however, they would need to be housed in a completely separate area, with their own pasture for life, along with increased biosecurity measures.

As a small grassroots organization, we simply don’t have the funding readily available for a project like this. We tried to find funding to make it happen, but unfortunately, that didn’t work out. We do have some grant opportunities coming up, but even if we were successful, they wouldn’t allow us to complete construction before winter or within the timeline established by the goats’ current caretaker.

Sadly, there are an abundance of infectious diseases that plague farmed animals. When large numbers of animals are kept in close quarters, infectious diseases have more opportunity to spread, often without obvious signs of illness. Many of these diseases progress slowly, which is why disease screening is such an important part of operating a sanctuary.

By all accounts, these goats have been well cared for, but their body condition tipped us off that something might be going on. They have a great setup, a nice pasture and lots of hay, but the test results confirmed our suspicions. These 7 goats are no less deserving of safety, care and compassion because of those results. We desperately wanted to give them a home here, but we also have a responsibility to protect the residents already in our care and those who may need us in the future.

And that need continues to grow. We’ve already surpassed last year’s intake requests, which totalled more than 200. Right now, we’re exploring options for 6 sheep we’ve been asked to take in. Saying no is the second hardest part of running a sanctuary, beside losing a resident. That’s why continuing to build our infrastructure and capacity is so important, so we can continue saying yes.

We’re extremely grateful to those who donated toward welcoming these goats. We will be covering the cost of their testing, and the remaining funds will go toward our depleted medical fund. We plan to reach out to those donors individually, but if you’re seeing this and would like your donation returned, please send us a message. We’re running short-handed, so please bear with us.

We really hope these sweet goats can find a safe and appropriate home. If you think you might be able to provide a forever home to any of these goats, please reach out to us for details. Time is of the essence. Please share. ❤️