Whoever stole a 12-day-old baby goat from Yellow Point Farm on Saturday is likely going to kill it, if they don’t return it as requested.
That’s the sad and ugly reality. The goat needs its mother’s milk to survive, to say nothing of the trauma of being snatched from its home and mother by someone who most likely has no idea how to look after it. At this stage you can’t feed it just anything.
This may be one of the most unusual cases of a stolen pet that we’ve ever heard of, but it’s certainly not the first. Thieves have long targeted other domesticated pets such as dogs, especially if they are an expensive breed, as well as cats. They take them from their families who love them, sometimes like furry children, and sell them to the highest bidder they can find.
It’s worse than thieves who just take stuff. It still feels violating to have your television or computer stolen, but you can always buy a new one. You cannot just buy another version of the dog who’s been your constant companion for five years. Or the puppy that your kids bonded with instantly. Or the cat that helped you through your recent illness, divorce, or loss of a family member or friend. In many ways it is like the kidnapping of a person. There’s the worry — is the person who has him taking care of him? Loving him? And there’s the grief — a part of your life is suddenly gone.
It’s incredibly sad that Yellow Point Farm may stop offering the public a chance to meet its animals after this terrible betrayal of trust. Many have little chance to interact with farm animals, and it would be a huge shame if the selfish actions of one person were to ruin it for everyone.
The farm is begging whoever took the little guy to return him, no questions asked. Doing so is not only the right thing to do, but also the only practical thing to do. If by some miracle the kid managed to survive this forced separation, baby goats grow into big goats, and its unusual appearance means whoever took him would have to hide him forever.
Just bring the goat back.