A family of rescued goats will be celebrating this Father’s Day together in peace and happiness at The Gentle Barn’s sanctuary in Tennessee.
The trio’s rescue started with the birth of a tiny nanny goat, now named Lolli, who was born on a frigid January morning. Frostbite caused the tiny Lolli to lose the tips of her ears and both of her back feet. Lolli then had trouble keeping up with her herd and could be heard crying when left alone.
A caring neighbor brought Lolli’s plight to the attention of The Gentle Barn, a nonprofit rescue and rehabilitation organization with locations in Los Angeles, St. Louis, and Nashville. The Gentle Barn equipped Lolli with prostheses and a wheelchair so she could run and play with ease — as all goats want to do — and then set about rescuing her mom and dad.
“The Gentle Barn is dedicated to rescuing entire families and keeping families together at all costs,” said Founder Ellie Laks. “We are not the only ones who love our babies and want to raise, nurture and protect them.”
Lolli, Minnie Mae, and Merlin (Courtesy of The Gentle Barn)
Lolli’s mom Minnie Mae was scared at first but finally started to trust The Gentle Barn’s staff. Lolli’s dad Merlin settled in more quickly.
“He took to his new home right away and was so excited to see the girls again,” The Gentle Barn wrote in Merlin’s profile. “He is the sweetest and just wants to be loved and cuddled as often as possible.”
In between those cuddles, however, Merlin’s mission is to look out for his daughter.
“Merlin is very overprotective of Lolli,” The Gentle Barn told Lady Freethinker. “He’s completely bonded to her and loves running beside her as she happily zooms around the yard daily.”
Lolli and Merlin (Courtesy of The Gentle Barn)
The trio is incredibly bonded and loving, the nonprofit added.
“We all want a good life, we all have dreams of having a family one day, and we are all vital to those families,” Laks said. “We strive every day at The Gentle Barn for a world where all mommies and daddies of any species can celebrate Father’s Day alongside their children, safe, respected, and sacred.”
Lady Freethinker is so grateful to The Gentle Barn and the caring neighbor who made this goat family’s rescue and reunion possible! To learn more about the fantastic fathers at The Gentle Barn, you can check out their post here.
Happy Father’s Day to all the caring parents out there!
