We rescued the mother-son duo this spring from a central New York farm about two hours away. At just seven- and six-years-old, the Saanen goats moved like they were much older animals. They could barely walk, and lacked the basic care they needed.

Still, the farmer had a soft spot for these goats. While he had raised other animals for food, he let these two live with him as companions. But as the goats aged and their conditions declined, the man realized they needed more than he could provide.

A neighbor offered to take them on, with the caveat that they’d be slaughtered for meat. Instead, with a friend’s encouragement, the farmer let his goats come to Farm Sanctuary.

The pair arrived with severely overgrown hooves; it had been nearly a year (and likely longer), since the farmer had trimmed them. For comparison, we trim hooves at Farm Sanctuary about every six weeks; goats with special needs receive more frequent maintenance, often once or twice a month.

Our new friends’ hooves curled from lack of care, and it hurt too much for them to stand or walk properly; Venus had the more severe case of the two, with a pronounced limp to prove it. To add insult to injury, we also found itchy mites crawling between their hooves.

Later diagnostics revealed that they both have Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis (CAE): an incurable disease transmissible to goats through bodily fluids such as milk. Some goats remain asymptomatic for years; others can maintain a normal quality of life with regular monitoring and pain medication. Venus and Cupid received neither—and combined with the damage to their hooves, it’s no wonder they were in such rough shape.

We brought the pair to our Melrose Small Animal Hospital for preliminary treatments, including parasite management, hoof trimmings and monitors, and pain medication for their CAE. Our initial plans had been to foster them on-site, until they could travel to an adoptive home. Due to the extent of their conditions, however—and because we are so close to Cornell University, should they need more intensive care—we welcomed Venus and Cupid as permanent residents of our New York shelter.

Once Venus and Cupid were parasite-free and medically cleared to be around other goats, it was time to find them a herd. Goats are social animals, and find safety and support in numbers. Our caregiving team puts a lot of thought in deciding where our new residents will live—especially for goats. We have several goat herds at our New York shelter, because they are often difficult to place; any mismatched groups will fight for home-turf advantage, and we didn’t want Venus or Cupid to get hurt.

Thankfully, their introduction went well. The pair now lives in a special needs herd, which includes older goats and other goats with leg issues. Venus and Cupid are sweet with our staff, though they’re still slow to befriend the other goats. For now, they just prefer sticking together.

For the first time, mother and son are free to do just that. They will never again have to scrounge for their next meal, or go without regular medical care. Though we can’t reverse the damage to their legs, we can manage their pain through regular care, and help them enjoy the rest of their lives here …together.