Goat to Join Others Recently Found Near the Hutchinson River Parkway

Bronx Goat Mystery Intensifies as Farm Sanctuary Rescues Fourth Sick Goat in Matter of Months

Goat to Join Others Recently Found Near the Hutchinson River Parkway and Taken to Organization’s Upstate New York Shelter

Watkins Glen, NY – October 13, 2009— Farm Sanctuary, the nation’s leading farm animal protection organization, yesterday welcomed to their farm animal shelter in Watkins Glen, NY the fourth in a string of severely ill goats found wandering in the vicinity of New York City’s busy Hutchinson River Parkway over the past several months. The latest, a white male goat estimated to be approximately two years old and suffering from what appears to be an advanced upper respiratory infection, was found wandering in Pelham Bay Park and has many concerned citizens demanding to know the origin of this spate of sick and emaciated goats in the Bronx.

The goat, whose ears have been mutilated, was found by a park ranger who tranquilized the animal and brought him to Animal Care & Control of New York City’s Manhattan Shelter, where he was quarantined while awaiting safe transport to Farm Sanctuary’s upstate New York shelter. Pelham Bay Park is located near the junction of I-95 South and the Hutchinson River Parkway in the Bronx, the same area where Isadora and Duncan, the sweet pair of baby goats who made headlines in late July were found, and where Evan, a severely ill kid, was found in early September wandering the grounds of a nearby nursing home. Further underscoring the degree of neglect the goats found in this area are suffering, and despite receiving round-the-clock, top-of-the-line care at Farm Sanctuary’s New York Shelter and Cornell University Hospital for Animals, Evan was unable to be saved and passed away last month.

“It remains a mystery where these poor goats are escaping from, but wherever it is, we know they aren’t being cared for properly, as evidenced by the advanced pneumonia, severe anemia requiring blood transfusions, emaciation, lice infestation and foot abscesses we’ve found,” said Farm Sanctuary’s National Shelter Director Susie Coston. “Some of these goats have arrived at our shelter so sick they can barely stand. If more people were able to know these goats as the sensitive, friendly, intelligent individuals they are, they would be outraged by the degree of neglect from which they are allowed to suffer.”

Though the recent surge of goat rescues are remarkable for their consistent frequency, farm animals found wandering the streets of the Bronx are not an unusual occurrence in the borough. Last year, a 25-pound pygmy goat named Goodwin, one of Farm Sanctuary’s beloved residents, was discovered by New York City police near 141st Street and St. Ann’s Avenue in the Bronx— just a few blocks from where another Farm Sanctuary resident, Lucky Lady—a seven-month-old lamb who escaped slaughter and made international headlines— was found in June 2007. Both runaways are two of more than 200 farm animals rescued from the New York City area and brought to Farm Sanctuary during the last few years. Other famous New York City escapees who now live at Farm Sanctuary include Maxine, a cow found running through the streets of Queens in 2007; Joey, a goat found wandering through Brooklyn in 2007; and Queenie, a cow who escaped a slaughterhouse in Queens in 2000.

If you would like to receive an image of the goat or speak with Susie Coston, Farm Sanctuary’s National Shelter Director, please contact Meredith Turner at mturner@farmsanctuary.org or 646-369-6212.

About Farm Sanctuary
Farm Sanctuary is the nation's leading farm animal protection organization. Since incorporating in 1986, Farm Sanctuary has worked to expose and stop cruel practices of the "food animal" industry through research and investigations, legal and institutional reforms, public awareness projects, youth education, and direct rescue and refuge efforts. Farm Sanctuary shelters in Watkins Glen, N.Y., and Orland, Calif., provide lifelong care for hundreds of rescued animals, who have become ambassadors for farm animals everywhere by educating visitors about the realities of factory farming. Additional information can be found at farmsanctuary.org or by calling 607-583-2225.

About Animal Care & Control of New York City
Animal Care & Control of New York City (AC&C) is the largest pet organization in the North East, with over 43,000 animals rescued each year. As a not-for-profit organization since 1995, Animal Care & Control is responsible for New York City's municipal shelter system, rescuing, caring for, and finding loving homes for homeless, abused, injured and abandoned animals in New York City. AC&C facilities operate in all five boroughs. For more information, please visit www.nycacc.org or call 212-788-4000.