Abandoned Baby Goat With Paralyzed Legs "Capturing Hearts" At Louisville Animal Sanctuary

After a rough start, a baby goat born with paralyzed back legs is thriving and “capturing hearts” in Kentucky. 

Roman was less than two days old (and still had his umbilical cord attached) when he was found abandoned in a basket outside GiddyUp Horse and Wildlife Rescue in Cleveland, Missouri, earlier this month. 

The team at GiddyUp provided Roman with initial care, but founder Tawnya Reber knew he needed more specialized support.

After numerous rescues and sanctuaries declined her attempts to find a place for Roman, Reber reached out to Butterfly Valley Rescue & Sanctuary 700 miles away in Louisville. Recognizing Roman's need for specialized treatment, Butterfly Valley agreed to take him in and provide the necessary support alongside the other disabled goats in their care.

"We said, ‘Hey, we have a wheelchair available right this moment. If we can figure out getting him to us here in Louisville, he’s got a home forever,’ and fortunately in about a 24-hour period of time, we were able to set up the entire transport,” Brandon Feusner, co-founder of Butterfly Valley Rescue & Sanctuary, said in a statement.

Thanks to four volunteer transporters, Roman safely arrived at Butterfly Valley last week. 

Despite the long journey and hot weather, Roman reportedly mastered the use of his wheelchair within the first 10 minutes of his arrival. 

"The moment we set him in the wheelchair he took off down the sidewalk here and was ready to use it and it was like he had used it forever," Feusner said. "He doesn't know any different, and the beauty of it is he had the ability to move on his own utilizing just those two front legs so he understood moving around and getting to the things he wanted and so when he had the ability to do that even easier he was like okay let's go."

Roman, now three weeks old, has begun physical therapy, including water therapy sessions designed to strengthen his back legs. Although they are extremely weak, he is able to move them.  He has settled into his new home brilliantly, and he enjoys playing with sticks and exploring his surroundings. Feusner said he has already “captured hearts with his resilience and determination.”

"He'll be in his wheelchair and have the opportunity to make a difference and heal and show people that despite his differences, he can do everything that a normal goat would do,” Feusner said.

Go Roman, go!