Shockingly, upon looking inside, he found a small black and white goat who had been hog-tied, but was still alive and struggling for freedom.
A little later, he discovered that the goat had been there for two days without any food and water, let alone adequate air to breathe, and called on local Animal Control to take the malnourished and terrified animal to their shelter for safe keeping.
While the goat was taken to a facility in Santa Clara, the driver of the car, as well as the passengers, were charged with cruelty to animals and booked into the county jail. As soon as we heard about this horrific ordeal, we reached out with an offer to take the goat in at our California Shelter, where he’d be certain to never end up in the wrong hands again. Days later, little Noel arrived at his new home.
When Noel showed up in Orland, we were delighted to learn right away that, despite all he had been through, he was still very fond of humans. Greeting us with more warmth and friendliness than we ever would have expected, he became instantly attached to his caregivers, and even cries out when they leave his sight. His trust and good nature make it all the more heartbreaking to think of the abuse he endured and how confused and frightening it must have been for him in the trunk of that car.
But thankfully, in addition to being in good spirits, Noel is now in better health too. With access to plenty of nourishing food, clean water, a warm barn stall, and a spacious yard to run around in, he is at a more ideal weight and has enough energy to playfully head butt the fencing in his yard, nibble on leaves, and play King of the Mountain by standing atop logs – activities that all goats love!
Considering how he has already begun to bounce back from the trauma he endured, we have no doubt that all that happened to Noel in the past will soon be a distant memory as he settles more and more into sanctuary life. We can’t wait until he starts making friends with other goats, exploring our vast pastures, and experiencing the world as it should be for all animals: compassionate and free of fear.
As we begin the New Year, we couldn’t be happier to have given a fresh start to sweet Noel, but our work in 2011 is far from over. Help us be at the ready to rescue and create new beginnings for more animals like Noel by donating to our Emergency Rescue Fund today. Your gift of support will not only save lives, but it will also give hope to suffering farm animals everywhere. Thank you for caring!
