RIP Clementine the Rescue Goat
Last week we had to say goodbye.
Clementine the Rescue Goat passed away at home on November 4, 2019.
We aren’t sure when or where she was born. At some point in her life she came to live down the road from the farm. In the panic of Hurricane Matthew (I’m trying hard not to judge but sometimes it’s hard…), she was left by her owner, still tied up with a chain. Her neighbor found her swimming in flood water and rescued her. She already had goats and didn’t want any more so she asked us if we could take her. We took her with open arms. We were unsure if she’d live (goats don’t have the biggest will-to-live), but little by little she got her strength back and JR named her Clementine.
She lived a good life of sunning herself, gorging on grass, sweet feed, and left over bread (her favorite treat), and licking kids in the face when they came to visit. She provided us with endless entertainment and was immortalized in pictures, paintings, and the family memories of many. She was a sweet and strong goat. Unfortunately she was hurt over the summer and in the process of healing that leg the infection settled in her other. The vet looked at both and told us the infection may or may nor heal, and she had permanent nerve damage in one leg and would never regain the use of it. We moved her to a pen behind our house where we could nurse her and the other leg thankfully healed. She gained weight and began to act like her old self. We were thankful and glad and this fall we had planned to move her back to the general pasture, but before we could she began to lose weight again. Before long she nearly stopped walking altogether and was constantly grinding her teeth (a sign of pain in goats). After being told there was nothing we could do we decided to end her suffering, and last week she went to the land of evergreen pastures and bread for all.
She is survived by her daughter Clarice, and grandson Little Billy. Her legacy will live on here at the farm and in our memories as a Queen Among Goats. We will surely miss her.