Goats
About Goats
Goats are friendly and affectionate animals. They make life-time friendships and are very family-oriented. They enjoy spending time with other goats, but will also approach human visitors in a curious and friendly fashion.
Click here to watch our video about goats.
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Billy
Billy was chained to a tree next to a “For Sale” sign with no access to water. His owners were encouraged to make the compassionate choice and surrender Billy and we are grateful they did. When he arrived at Safe Haven in the spring of 2024, Billy had patchy hair loss and bleeding sores all over his body caused by lice. He had four parasites and was so thin our vet was worried about chronic wasting disease which he fortunately tested negative for. Extensive medical care, proper nutrition, tons of one-on-one time with our caretakers and his resilient spirit have given Billy the opportunity to thrive. In just a few short weeks, he was able to join his new goat family!
Astro
Astro came to our sanctuary in 2013 at the age of 3. He arrived with his two friends, Violet and Daisy. He is a Nigerian Dwarf goat which is a breed commonly purchased as pets because of their small stature. Sadly, his family decided to move out of state and had no room for their 3 goats. They could not find anyone willing to take them and the next step was to euthanize them.
Safe Haven heard the news just in time and brought Astro and his friends home to Safe Haven where they could live happily and peacefully for the rest of their lives. Astro is a shy little boy but he loves to play in the pasture with the bigger goats. Over the years, he has gradually come out of his shell and enjoys the TLC he receives from his human friends.
Baelfire
Baelfire and his friend Firefly were born on a nearby farm and raised as 4H projects by 2 children. When it was time to send them to slaughter, the children objected so they were moved to a farm where they lived outside in a small pen with little shelter for 2 years. They only had human contact once a day at feeding time. Safe Haven was contacted when the family no longer wanted them and couldn’t find anyone willing to care for them. We welcomed them to the sanctuary in November of 2019. Baelfire is very affectionate. He loves attention and interacting with his human friends. His friend Firefly was also a very loving and beautiful boy. He had CAE (Caprine Arthritis Encephalitis) which led to pulmonary fibrosis. He passed away in October of 2023 in his stall with Baelfire and his caretakers by his side. He is sorely missed.
Bessie
In July of 2014, Bessie is a dairy goat who was rescued from a backyard in Coney Island, NY along with her son Milo. They were being kept illegally and facing slaughter. Typically, male kids are slaughtered since they can’t produce milk and are an expense to keep. Bessie and Milo were seized by NYC Animal Control, and Safe Haven welcomed them with open arms. Bessie is a petite and sweet goat. She is gentle in nature and a phenomenal mom. Sadly, Milo passed away in June of 2021. We are grateful we had the privilege to care for Bessie’s incredibly gentle boy for 7 years. Bessie is now the adoptive mother of two baby goats named Max and Tyler who arrived in the Summer of 2021. She provides them with the maternal nurturing they crave and a new family has formed.
Boomer
Boomer and his mom, Matilda, were two of the original animals to join our farm sanctuary back in 2008. Boomer’s mom was rescued from a live market in the Bronx. She was living in a crowded small pen with other animals. Matilda was pregnant and lucky to be rescued as she and Boomer would have been destined for slaughter. At Safe Haven, she was treated for parasites and received affection for the first time in her life. A few months after her arrival, Mattie gave birth to her handsome baby boy, Boomer.
Boomer was infected with the same parasite as his mom which made him severely anemic. He was rushed, with Mattie alongside, to Tufts Large Animal Hospital where he received world class care and recovered. The mother and son duo were inseparable. They were often seen side by side enjoying a good snuggle in the pasture. Sadly, Mattie passed away in June of 2024. There is no doubt Boomer misses his mother dearly but he is surrounded by his human and goat friends and spends his days exploring the pasture.
Cesar
Cesar was found as a baby goat wandering the streets of the Bronx. He was rescued by two compassionate NYC police officers. Covered with candle wax, he most likely escaped a sacrificial ritual. Sick and thin when he arrived, Cesar has grown into a handsome, inquisitive little goat.
He spends his days exploring the farm. He is very friendly and eager to welcome you to Safe Haven.
Duncan
Duncan is a pygmy goat who was transferred to Safe Haven in 2010 along with his friend Isadora after their daring escape from a live market in the Bronx. They were found at the intersection of the Hutchinson River Parkway and I-95 South. Duncan is very outgoing and playful. He is also a born leader and everyone knows he is “in charge”. He especially enjoyed engaging in playful interactions with his friend Milo.
Click here to enjoy a video featuring Duncan
Lilah
Lilah lived with Nellie in an illegal backyard goat farm in a nearby town and despite being no more than 2 years old, she had already been pregnant more than once. She was very thin and had parasites and hooves that hadn’t been trimmed in a long time. Lilah was shy when she first arrived, but with loving care from her human caretakers, she quickly warmed up and looked forward to human attention.
The vet and hoof trimmer came to Safe Haven soon after this sweet goat and her friend Nellie arrived to provide the proper attention to their health needs. With good food, excellent care, and a warm bed to snuggle in during the winter months, Lilah will never have another worry for the rest of her life.
Max & Tyler
These two precious baby goats were found in a filthy backyard goat slaughterhouse in New Jersey. Their mother had been sent to slaughter and they were next in line to be sold to customers who slaughter young animals as part of religious rituals. Because several of the young goats were sick and could not be sold, the man at the slaughterhouse reached out to a nearby sanctuary. Max and Tyler were the first to be removed from the yard and were transported to Safe Haven in June of 2021. These two little ones were understandably quite nervous to be in a new environment and away from their mamas. They were so afraid of people that they hid in the corner of their stall and would not even take bottles of kid milk. We provided them with nutritious goat food and hay which they happily ate and enjoyed and they also took a few licks of goat mineral – easing our concerns that they would not drink milk. They are gradually becoming more comfortable with people as our caretakers show them patience and kindness and treat them with a gentle touch. Max and Tyler are Nigerian Dwarf goats. Max is friendly and protective of Tyler who tends to be on the shy side. Tyler follows Max’s lead and sometimes hides behind him for a sense of security. They are deeply bonded and they are snuggle buddies!
Nellie
Nellie is a sweet Nubian goat with long floppy ears and a soft mouth who loves to nuzzle you and nibble at your pockets hoping for a piece of apple or some goat treats. She was rescued at the last minute from an illegal small goat farm in a neighboring town after having her babies taken away from her one after the other and sold for meat. She was facing a cold winter with little protection from the elements and had no hay or water nearby.
We were thrilled to be able to offer her a lifelong home with attention to her medical problems and the promise of a cozy warm place to sleep in the winter and lots of green grass and sunny pastures in the summer.