A farm animal rescue organization south of Edmonton is desperate for the return of Daisy, a blind baby goat that requires special medical care, who was reportedly stolen over the weekend.
Melissa Foley is the founder of the Farm Animal Rescue and Rehoming Movement (FARRM) near Wetaskiwin, Alta. The non-profit organization provides care and a home for surrendered and abused farm animals.
Foley and her husband went into town late Sunday afternoon to run a few errands. When they returned home at around 6:30 p.m., the gate wasn’t strapped shut the way they normally leave it.
“We noticed as soon as we got to the gate, something was wrong,” Foley said.
“Daisy has a lot of special needs. She’s blind, so the moment she hears any noise or we call for her, she instantly starts a very loud, bleating kind of screaming sound. And this place was deathly silent.”
The couple searched their six-acre property, thinking perhaps Daisy had been injured, but she was nowhere to be found. Foley and her husband went to talk to their neighbours, who told them they heard a vehicle in their yard about 45 minutes before the couple got home.
“They had heard our dogs howling and barking, which is something they only do when somebody’s in the yard,” Foley said.
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Daisy, a brown and white goat, was surrendered to FARRM in the spring and is about six to seven months old. Foley said the baby goat was attacked by crows shortly after she was born, leaving her completely blind and without the majority of her tongue.
“She suffered so much trauma at such a young age,” Foley said emotionally.
READ MORE: Alberta farm animal rescue sanctuary struggles to keep up with overwhelming demand
Daisy requires medication and follows a strict regime, which includes goat yoga. Foley said the interaction with people helps keep Daisy calm. Foley and her husband are deeply concerned about the animal’s wellbeing and are hoping for her safe return.
“Daisy really needs a lot of structure and routine, a lot of comfort in her daily life. She needs to do the same things every day to know she’s safe, to hear the safe voices. She also has a lot of medication that she’s on multiple times a day that help keep her calm… keep her from getting scared and upset and showing a lot of the maladapted behaviours that she would when she has those things taken away from her,” Foley explained.
“We’re very concerned for Daisy. Her life before she started on those medications and on those strict routines here was not great. It wasn’t a life I would wish on anything or anyone. Not having her here, I’m very concerned for her well-being.
“I don’t know any reason why somebody would steal a blind baby goat from somebody’s property, so that just instantly makes me think the worst.”
Over the past few months, Daisy had befriended a blind sheep named Merlin, who also lives at FARRM. Foley said Merlin is also missing his friend.
“Daisy’s best friend is Merlin… They both interact with the world in the same way,” she said.
“Today we’re just noticing with Merlin that he’s a little bit more vocal, a little bit lost. I think that he realizes that Daisy is not around so we had a little bit of a difficult night with him and today is sort of just a reminder that his friend is gone so that’s hard for us and for him.”
Foley said she filed a report with the RCMP on Sunday night. Foley is offering a $10,000 reward for the safe return of Daisy and has organized a search party to scour the area on Monday night.
In the meantime, she left a kennel with food and water at the end of the driveway in hopes Daisy will be returned.
Global News has reached out to the RCMP for more information. Once the phone call is returned, this story will be updated with information from police.
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