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Newborn Goat Left for Dead at New Holland Sales Stable Seized and Sent to Farm Sanctuary

WATKINS GLEN, NEW YORK – January 13, 2009 – Late last week, a three-pound newborn goat seized on Jan. 5 from New Holland Sales Stable in Lancaster County by Farm Sanctuary Humane Enforcement Officer Keith Mohler arrived at the leading animal protection organization’s New York Shelter for rehabilitative care. One of two goats born during the stockyard’s Jan. 5 sale, the confiscated newborn was left behind by an unidentified owner and suffered neglect for at least four hours before he was discovered by Mohler and taken to a veterinarian.

“The goat’s mother had already been sold and taken away, so he was left alone, unable to stay warm or nurse. He already had hypothermia and a navel infection by the time I found him. He barely survived the ordeal,” said Officer Mohler. “Though this goat was a victim of neglect and deserves protection under the law, the owner could not be identified and therefore could not be charged. In any event, it is inexcusable that the animal was left to die and no one noticed – especially given New Holland’s poor track record with abuse. This incidence is not isolated, but rather symptomatic of larger animal welfare problems at this facility.”  

In the past weeks alone, the owner and an employee of New Holland Sales Stables were charged with animal cruelty for allegedly leaving a live cow with a bullet in her head on a dead pile for hours. On Jan. 4, Officer Mohler began investigating an incident involving a badly injured horse who had to be euthanized at the facility. The stockyard has been the subject of multiple animal cruelty investigations through the years as well. It was found guilty on three counts of animal cruelty in 2007, after Mohler filed charges on behalf of Farm Sanctuary for inhumane handling of downed sheep on the premises. In 2006, the stockyard was acquitted of animal cruelty on a technicality after leaving a live sheep in a dumpster. And, in 2004, a man who dragged a horse at the stockyard was convicted of animal cruelty.  

This most recent instance of abuse also sheds light on the need for greater protection for farm animals who are too weak or sick to walk on their own in order to prevent them from languishing at farms, stockyards and slaughterhouses without food, water or veterinary care. Farm Sanctuary has worked to end downed animal abuse for more than 20 years through its No Downers Campaign and continues to lobby for federal legislation that would require the immediate, humane euthanasia of not only cattle, but also all animals who become nonambulatory, including goats, sheep and pigs. More information can be found at nodowners.org.

“About one-week old now, the goat is still suffering from pneumonia and navel ill and is currently at Cornell University’s Hospital for Animals where he is awaiting a possible blood transfusion and fighting for his life,” said Farm Sanctuary National Shelter Director Susie Coston. “If someone had just taken some time to clean his umbilical cord with iodine and allow the baby to receive vital colostrum from his mother before they took her away, all of this suffering could have been prevented. The fact that he was denied this very basic care at New Holland is unconscionable.”

Note to editors: Photos of newborn goat available by request.

Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at www.farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.