Someone may have taken baby goat snuggles too far.
The owners of Yellow Point Farms south of Nanaimo allege that one of their baby goats, just 12 days old, was stolen on Saturday during a baby goat snuggles program at their farm.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 want to believe that,鈥 said Rebecca Dault. 鈥淲e were like, there鈥檚 no way someone would steal a goat. But after looking for hours and hours, there really is no other explanation. There鈥檚 no sign of him. There couldn鈥檛 have been predators because there was so many people.鈥
The is exactly what it sounds like, a chance to 鈥渉old and snuggle the baby goats to heart鈥檚 content.鈥
Rebecca and Justin Dault said Saturday鈥檚 baby goat snuggles was one of their most well-attended yet, with about 50 people there, mostly families, between 1-3 p.m. Many of those who attended have sent photos to help the Daults pin down the time the goat could have been taken, perhaps 1:30-2 p.m.
Justin said he looked for four hours yesterday and throughout the day today.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of like kidnapping. We feel violated. We couldn鈥檛 even sleep last night over it,鈥 he said.
He said that at the baby goat snuggling and goat yoga programs, visitors to the farm commonly joke about 鈥榢id-napping.鈥
鈥淧eople always joke about, 鈥榦h, I鈥檓 taking this goat home鈥 or 鈥業鈥檓 keeping this goat鈥 and fake like they鈥檙e smuggling one out,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 all fun and jokes, but someone took it too far and actually did.鈥
He said he鈥檚 considering setting up a security camera in future, but the couple aren鈥檛 even certain they want to continue with the snuggle program.
鈥淚ts mom is crying. She鈥檚 been crying ever since; she鈥檚 looking for him, and if he was stuck somewhere, he鈥檇 be crying too,鈥 Rebecca said.
She said the photos don鈥檛 quite get across how small the baby goat is; she estimates five pounds. The allegedly stolen goat has 鈥渧ery rare colouring,鈥 Rebecca said, gold with 鈥渕oonspots鈥 and blue eyes. She said with such distinctive colouring, no one will be able to sell the goat. She said the baby goat needs its mama鈥檚 milk.
鈥淯nless someone was well-versed in raising goats and bought powdered goat milk replacer or something, it鈥檚 not going to survive. It鈥檚 not weaned. It鈥檚 only 12 days old. It needs it till eight weeks. It鈥檚 going to have to be force-fed to learn a bottle,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty tough for it to survive without that, or a very experienced goat owner.鈥
The farm owners say they won鈥檛 ask any questions if someone returns the goat to their front pasture.
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