When one thinks of animal shelters, a slideshow of dogs and cats usually comes to mind. However, under the roof of the Montreal SPCA, there is not only hair on the program. Nestled there is a crowd of animals that jump from rooster to donkey: from rabbit to hawk, from gecko to hamster, from squirrel to pig …
Thus, in the fall, the refuge welcomed a guest as special as he was in bad shape, responding to the name of Anthar, a young goat not even 1 year old. “We tend to call it the goat, but it’s a billy goat! “, Corrects Marianne Bond from the outset, veterinarian of the establishment, who took care of the animal. In addition to his rectangular pupils and his contagious affection, he especially marked the minds of the staff by his torment, a nasty injury to a hind leg.
“We don’t really know what happened, his left hind leg was very swollen and had a very red sore with a chronic infection, which dated back several weeks. Surely there was a trauma that was not treated. The owner not having the means to provide for the care, he entrusted it to the SPCA ”, explains Mme Bond, specifying that it is not a farm animal, the goat having rather grown up with the family of an individual.
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, THE PRESS
The DD Marianne Bond sees them pass by all colors, called to care for rodents, reptiles and all kinds of animals, large and small, taken in by the establishment.
The lesion causing a curvature of his leg, poor Anthar could no longer walk on his hoof, leaning on a fragile part of the limb, causing another infection. Despite a first treatment with antibiotics and painkillers, the ax quickly fell: the amputation was inevitable. The veterinarian, who was treating a bovid for the first time as part of her duties, immediately requested a help extramural.
“We contacted a surgeon from the faculty of veterinary medicine in Saint-Hyacinthe, specializing in farm animals, to help us manage his case and perform the procedure,” says Mme Jump.
The goat therefore packed his bags for a short stay in the operating room in Saint-Hyacinthe, before returning to the SPCA for his convalescence, which went perfectly.
“His paw is healed. The amputation was done low enough to allow him to fit a prosthesis and allow him to move around more easily. It was molded and, while waiting to receive it, he still manages to move relatively well, ”notes the veterinarian. In mid-December, Anthar finally received his artificial leg and learned to move around with the new apparatus. The cost of its management was $ 1,500, excluding the cost of the prosthesis.
PHOTO FROM PENNY LANE FARM SANCTUARY FACEBOOK PAGE
Anthar, renamed Mac, received his prosthesis in mid-December and began to learn to walk differently.
Do not amputate happiness
Receiving such diverse animals, from bats to injured skunks, requires a great deal of adaptability on the part of the shelter staff. “As the SPCA accepts all types of animals, this requires us to make adjustments. It is quite a challenge to ensure an adequate environment and food, to meet the specific needs of each species ”, reports the DD Marianne Bond, who confides in having treated a tarantula shortly before – in these places, Halloween is invited at any time of the year! In the case of Anthar, enclosures usually accommodating dogs were decorated with straw and enlarged, in order to be adapted to its size and to ensure its comfort.
The little goat definitely put back on his four legs, what will happen to him? The idea of replacing him on a farm was considered, a veterinarian being ready to integrate him into her tribe in the region. But the risk of making him a scapegoat was real. “The other goats could have rejected him because of his infirmity, so we found a plan B”, says Mme Jump. A plan B like goat, but also like Beatles: at the end of October, the goat finally took the direction of the sanctuary for farm animals Penny Lane, located in Ontario, where its integration was crowned with success. Renamed Mac, it will spend its future days there. “It’s a refuge that welcomes animals like him, who have three legs or are in bad shape, to offer them the comfort they need,” explains the veterinarian. And guess where we can now regularly collect some news of the animal, renamed Mac? On the “Face-Bouc” page of the sanctuary, of course!