For little Dean the goat, life began with a particularly difficult challenge.
Dean’s mother, sadly, abandoned him at birth. Since he wasn’t getting proper nutrients from his mother’s milk, this little kid became shockingly frail.
Thankfully, Caitlin Stewart of Rancho Relaxo rescued him just in time. She quickly and diligently nursed him back to health. And now, he is the spunkiest baby, full of love and light!
Rescue farms all over the world are now giving animals beautiful opportunities to turn their trauma into triumph. Second chances like these are beautiful opportunities to observe the glory of true resilience.
This heartwarming little goat is spreading pure joy wherever he wanders. Dean the goat shares his love with his whole farm family and community in the most delightful way: through sweet kisses.
Keep scrolling through our photo gallery to learn how Dean’s life completely transformed the minute he was rescued, and how he continues celebrating his survival day after day.
[H/T: The Dodo]
This is Dean the goat.
Recently, Dean was born to an older mother, too weak to fully care for her new kid.
Likely in an instinctual effort to give Dean his best shot at survival, his mother abandoned him directly after his birth.
Lucky for Dean, though, Caitlin Stewart, founder of Rancho Relaxo, quickly came to his aid.
Stewart writes on her Instagram: “I drove to the farm where Dean was born and was led to a small, dark barn that was set away from the main barns. Silence. Not a noise.
"As I entered the barn, the farmer pointed down and to the right. There he was. A miniature thing — locked in a rusty dog crate.”
She continued describing their first meeting: “He was not crying. He was simply curled up against the back panel of the cage — staring.
“Without hesitation, I leaned down, unlocked the door and scooped him up. I said nothing. I walked to my car, got in, started the engine and drove off — with little Dean still tucked under my left arm.”
During his first night on the ranch, Dean only consumed about two ounces of formula. This left Stewart particularly worried.
However, despite his rocky start, day by day things slowly started looking up for Dean.
Just over one month later, Dean is now the spunkiest goat you ever did see!
He’s befriended countless animals and humans on the rescue farm, and has quickly learned who to cozy up to for the best treats.
What is Dean’s favorite pastime? He loves giving kisses, of course!
Dean spreads his newfound joy to countless folks on the farm, every day.
Whether he's cozying up to his sister, Freya, or climbing all over his friends, this little goat has so much love to spread around.
With the odds stacked against him, Dean has already shattered any and all expectations set before him.
No challenge is too small. Soon, he'll be taking his beautiful displays of affection out on the road.
On April 30, Dean is slated to man his very own kissing booth at the Baltimore VegFest.
Until then, he’s practicing his kisses on all his favorite farm friends.
Stewart's first interactions with little Dean brought her to tears.
But now? Each and every day they spend together is filled with more kisses and cuddling than she could have ever anticipated.
Dean's life certainly started off shaky, but he has since risen to every challenge he's faced. He's a true survivor.
What do you think of Dean's story? Would you like to adopt a baby goat? Tell us all about it in the comments.
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