Tatonka 7

On May 17th– exactly 2 weeks ago– I did my first post about this little goat.  At that time, he was only 3 days old and yet nameless.  Now he has a name:  Tatonka!

Read about Tatonka’s birth story and how he ended up at New Moon Farm Goat Rescue & Sanctuary (NMF) in that post, “Why Dairy Makes Me Sick.”

I thought it would be fun to include some progress reports about Tatonka in my blog, since I have the good fortune to volunteer at NMF every week.  (Of course, I missed volunteering last week because of the Vida Vegan Con in Portland, Oregon.)

Here was an update from NMF on Saturday, May 25th…

“Two big “firsts” for Tatonka today. He had his first spontaneous baby BOING! He barely lifted off the ground, but it was definitely an attempt at jumping. Then, he started “grazing.” Not really eating anything, but chewing and licking at the grass – figuring it out. This little guy has improved dramatically in the past two days. He’s not only walking, his balance and stamina are improving. He can turn his head to look around without falling over. He can shake without falling over. And if he does fall over, he can get right back up!”

Here’s a video from that same day.  (WARNING:  cuteness overload).

The next day, Tatonka made the local news when King5.com did a news story:  ”Disabled goat, just 6 inches tall, undergoing rehab“

Here he is today, Friday, May 31st…

Tatonka’s legs are very badly deformed.  Splints are being tried to see if they will help with proper alignment of the feet.

Tatonka 1

Tatonka can now stand up on his own.
He can take little steps to turn around, too.

Tatonka 2

He crumples down easily.  Standing takes a lot of effort for this little guy.

Tatonka 3

This picture shows how little he is.  Ellen from NMF gives him some support.

Tatonka 4

This picture shows his scale.  Tatonka is only 13″ long from head to tail.
That barn cat, Viggo, is very small and slender.
(and Viggo is an old man- 19 years old!)

Tatonka 5

Too cute!

Tatonka 6

Tatonka 8

Another picture to show his size.  That’s my hand.  He’s tiny!

Tatonka 9

Can you stand the cuteness anymore?

Tatonka 10

If you’d like to donate to New Moon Farm Goat Rescue & Sanctuary, Ellen would sure love your support!  (She doesn’t know that I’m saying this.)  The sanctuary is located in Arlington, WA.

Stay tuned for more Tatonka progress reports!

——————————

UPDATE:

Tatonka Post-Surgery (June 28, 2013)