Fat & Happy Rescue

26/08/2024

We are so behind on our social media posts, as I often acknowledge and I do know we need to do better. The last 5 months have been busy - we’ve welcomed 12 new faces and said goodbye to 2, one of whom was heartbreaking despite being expected and one was quite tragic and not at all expected. I promise we will catch up on it all this week.

Back in late March, as some of you may recall, I drove to WV to pick up four goats who were looking for their happily-ever-after - a mom and her son, and two brothers from a different mom. Now, the three boys are nine months old and all are thriving.

Lionel Messi with his gleaming white uniform is the friendliest and most confident of the group. He is first in line for treats and demands head scritches and pets. He’s quite the lucky boy being able to stay with his momma!

Charles Barkley, affectionately known as Chuck, is our shyest boy. He’s always by his brother’s side, and is definitely still wary of us. But, for the right treat, *sometimes* he may muster up a little bit of courage. He has some fainting goat in him, which his brother has been known to take advantage of when he’s trying to get to the hay first.

Lastly is the ever-handsome Rob Gronkowski. I don’t know how a specimen like he was even made, with his flowing hair and frosted tips. Like his namesake, he is king of the smack talk and is quite vocal letting you know when there’s something he wants.

The boys remain the best of friends and their shenanigans are always a delight to witness!

Welcome to Fat & Happy, Messi, Chuck, and Gronk!

24/08/2024

Some sad news to share at Fat & Happy.  Fred, our outside Pyr who arrived bonded to Wilma the goat, passed away this past month from natural causes.  A working dog to the end, Fred protected his herd of goats each night, warning any predators with his bark.  He had started to show his age (we believe over 13) this past year, so we knew his time was coming – but he remained happy to the end, especially while receiving his peanut butter bone each evening. 

Rest in peace Fred – you earned it! ❤️❤️❤️

24/07/2024

Our Jay-Z couldn’t be prouder of his namesake!

Music mogul Jay-Z's is no stranger to vegan investments. He has backed several plant-based companies, including Oatly and Simulate.

21/07/2024

Our next introduction came from the same home as Nina, where she had been since she was only a few days old. Now 3, she is sweet, happy, and inquisitive. She loves attention and affection, and is an overall delight.

Her reaction when she first arrived was truly magical. When she first went to her last home, she was with her sister who unfortunately did not make it. I don’t know the details but at some point, Nina arrived and I believe those are the only two cows she had seen since basically birth. She was so, so excited to see our other cows! We keep everyone quarantined at first and it almost felt wrong to keep her confined and separated from the others when she clearly wanted to mingle and play. Today, we will integrate she and Nina with the herd of (mostly) younger and smaller cows.

The best friend that I ever had was Cracker Jack
But he was more than that
A playmate, a companion
He was love and understanding

Welcome to Fat & Happy, Dolly Parton!

06/07/2024

A little over a month ago, the rescue that we learned about Fred and Wilma Rudolph through reached out to see if we would be able to take in two cows that needed placement. I had been put in a cow hiatus for 2024 given how many we took in during Q3 2023 and realistically, we are confined by the size of our property, but as there was a family that could really use the help with the rehoming of the cows, an exception was made.

Our first introduction is a big personality in a somewhat small package. I won’t use this opportunity to get all preachy but to leave it at - there is no such thing as a miniature cow. They are the same as other cattle but have been selectively bred for smaller size, whether that be by breeding runts or those with other issues. I suspect our newest girl is a dwarf, but our vet has not seen her yet so this has yet to be confirmed. She is lovely and I think with a little time to know that she will never be an attraction at a petting zoo again, she will really come out of her shell.

Walk on, walk on, with hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone

Welcome to Fat & Happy, Nina Simone!

06/07/2024

There was some discussion, but no…this will not be our next intake…but he/she was pretty cute

02/07/2024

It’s been a busy few days at F&H! More details coming soon…

12/06/2024

We’ve fallen wildly behind on the social media posts again! We still owe introductions for the mom and three baby goats that we welcomed in late March, and then there are two more (surprise!) that joined Fat & Happy a month ago today.

Say hello to Clyde Drexler and Hannah England! They came to us from a family who loved them very, very much but were forced to move to an area where zoning did not allow for goats. They had been cherished family members for ten years, and now get to spend their golden years with us! Both are very sweet, especially Clyde who is now without question the friendliest and most inquisitive goat at the sanctuary.

Welcome to Fat & Happy, Clyde Drexler & Hannah England!

13/05/2024

Having an animal sanctuary, it isn’t often that we have the opportunity to welcome a mom and her baby - but it’s absolutely something we love to do and jump at the opportunity, every chance we get. We currently have four mom residents who were able to come with their babies. In order of tenure - Ronda Rousey (Max Scherzer and Charles Woodson), Amy Winehouse (Geddy Lee), Christie Brinkley (Iman and Cindy Crawford), and Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Lionel Messi).

Happy Mother’s Day!

11/05/2024

Waiting for breakfast 🥰😍

27/04/2024

Simone Biles loves her new bed! 😂😂

15/04/2024

Simone Biles makes the most of her petite stature to get a leg up on fresh hay

10/04/2024

It’s been a minute since we posted about the Beatles, the four Holstein calves that came in malnourished (understatement!) from the awful hoarding case in NC in September. The boys are all doing great! George is still a tiny peanut, but they’re all thriving.

02/04/2024

You’d never believe it, but Jay-Z (all the way on the right) is the second oldest cow in this picture. Amy Winehouse (all the way on the left) is the oldest, but we admittedly did not learn how old she was when she showed up here in the fall.

Jay-Z was born a twin and was rejected by his mom. He will always be a tiny peanut, and we love him just the way he is.

L to R: Amy Winehouse, Geddy Lee, Lady Gaga, Pat Smear, and Jay-Z

31/03/2024

We welcomed four new goats to Fat & Happy yesterday. The three boys are about 17 weeks old, and one of them was lucky enough to be able to stay with his mom. Introductions are forthcoming but had to share a sneak peek at this cuteness!

07/02/2024

It seems I’ve passed day 1 inspections

07/02/2024

Today’s project has some extra helpers…

21/01/2024

Yesterday, we welcomed two new residents to Fat & Happy; the very same ones we teased a few weeks ago when we shared pictures of the new enclosure Tim was building.

Before I get to the introductions, I need to take a minute to state my complete appreciation for Tim. I have been sick all week, and he has done EVERYTHING to keep things afloat. We are all so lucky to have him in our lives!! (Massive, massive understatement.)

About 3 weeks ago, we learned of two 2-year old kunekune boars that needed help. The couple that owned them had encountered a change in circumstances and could no longer keep them. They had been trying to find an alternate solution for over 3 months, but found themselves in the place where the last resort of scheduling a processing date was done. And thankfully that’s about when we saw their post. We jumped into action to build the paddock while also contracting out to have a shelter built as quickly as possible. Coincidentally, on what could have been the darkest day, it became the beginning of their happily ever after. (Well… after a quick stop at the vet for neutering but still, much better than the alternative!!)

Welcome to Fat & Happy, Fabio & Tyson Beckford!!