In rescue, you have to get comfortable with saying no. Very, very comfortable. Rescuing animals who are often at risk for meat consumption also means that you have to learn to make peace with the fact that some decisions, will mean life or death. It is a harsh reality of the work we do.
The mission of PSGR has remained the same for nearly 25 years. We save lives. We focus on rescuing the most vulnerable and often those who we are their last and only hope. Some are rescued from the frontlines of slaughter, some we intercept before they end up there. Some we save and break the cycle of breeding and milk production and some, simply need a safe, soft place to land. We take in everything from newborns to seniors. We take in some special needs goats and goats that need specialized care and rehab that we have the resources and experience to provide. We then work to find pet homes for the majority of the goats we rescue so the circle of our work can continue. We are faced with a constant stream of goats in need so, how do we choose? It is probably the question I get asked the most yet the hardest for me to articulate. The answer is never black or white but there are a number of things that run through my head with every single decision.
The first consideration is always space. Do we have quarantine space available? We have 2 quarantine spaces. One big space and one smaller space. Our quarantine spaces are usually occupied as it's often not as simple as a 30 - 60-day quarantine and then they move out. It all depends on what group they are integrating into and how that integration goes. And it's not just quarantine space to consider, it's do we have space in another herd for them to move into after quarantine? Are they a fit to move into our big herd? If not, would they be a fit in one of our smaller herds and is there space there? It's easier in summer but come October when the steady rain returns, having enough shelter where everyone can comfortably cohabitate in our long, rainy season is always front of mind. And then there is the female goats and if there is the possibility they could be pregnant. If so, will we have a kidding stall and maternity space for them?
We consider whether they would be "adoptable" or a goat that would be with us long term or permanently. For the ones that stay with us, are they going to need special accommodations, like a stall in our heated medical space during the winter? For adoptable goats, are they going to be easier or harder to adopt? Space is created by adoption so that consideration is a part of the bigger picture as an adoption-based rescue.
We also look at the situations the goats are currently in and why they are in need of help. We will always help Animal Control cases if we have the space and we will often get creative to make space if we don't. We will always say yes to newborns. Orphans, babies that are rejected by their moms, born at slaughterhouses or on transports, the answer is always yes. We prioritize goats who are living alone. Goats that are on the frontlines of slaughter, with no other option, that we have the chance to save, they are a priority over someone wanting to surrender their goats because their kids lost interest or they "don't have time for them anymore." With our space being so limited these days, we remain focused on our mission and helping the most vulnerable.
Just because we have an open quarantine or open barn stall doesn't mean we seek to fill it. One thing we can't control is adoption returns which we have seen an unprecedented amount of the last few years. They can come at any time, and they seem to come in waves, so we have to be prepared for an influx of goats needing to return at any given time.
And then there is my gut feeling. Goats that I just know, we have to help. It is a feeling I can never explain other than, I just know. Sometimes, it is as simple as that.
Making decisions about intake is one of the hardest aspects of rescue for me. I still have goats etched into my mind that we couldn't save. I try to stay focused on the ones we could save, the ones we could say yes to.
Yes and no, two simple words that both hold such weight in the world of rescue.