“Café Con leche” and her brother (rescued goats)

I arrived at another farm that sells animals for religious sacrifices. I parked outside,
in the main entrance, as I could not see any way to enter. I only had the conviction
that they sold animals because of the sign they had outside and the comments of
several people who had told me about this place.

With fear, I walked towards the entrance and after stopping for several minutes, a
lady came out and asked me: "What are you looking for? I told her I was looking for
a goat, she looked at me from head to toe, while I looked back at her trying to gain
her trust with a slight smile on my face.

The lady opened the gate and said to a tall guy, with a defiant look and eyes that
denied that black eyes do not exist -I can assure you that his eyes were jet-black
and that he had such a strong look that, for the first time in my life, I felt that I could
not hold my gaze-. The order he received was to take me to the back of the farm.
He got on a rather damaged and dirty golf cart, stared at me and firmly told me:
"get on".

I was scared of knowing that I was entering a strangers' farm and that the gate at
the main entrance was locked. I had no choice but to take a deep breath and follow
my plan, which was to save a life and get out of that place as soon as possible. So,
I got in the cart with the man. While he drove towards the place where the goats
were, I looked all around, trying to hide my astonishment. The place was extremely
dirty, messy and very mysterious.

Finally, we arrived at the goats’ place. There were many of them. When they saw
us coming, they all ran in the opposite direction, full of panic. The mothers were
hiding their young, standing in front of them, while other goats were running in
different directions. I stopped and saw a mother goat who looked exhausted. The
man told me that her two baby goats were no longer drinking milk, so I said to him:
"I want to take her away! He replied that none of the mothers were for sale, and
even though I offered him double the price, he refused to sell it to me.

Then, I saw that next to him were two little goats exactly the same -they were her
young-, with the mixed feelings of the enormous sadness of taking a young from its
mother, but with the enormous satisfaction of knowing that I was saving her life by
taking it, I said to the man: "I am taking one of them! I wanted to take them both,
but I didn't know exactly if they would be healthy and if their rehabilitation would be
expensive. He caught him; the mother screamed in despair as she noticed that one
of her young was being taken away. He put it in the cart and, although I was dying
of pain for the mother. I knew that, in my case, we were taking it to save it. In a
different scenario, the baby goat would be taken away to be killed in a ceremony.

The man placed him in the golf cart. The little goat was extremely frightened,
screaming inconsolably, as much or worse than his mother. I tried to restrain my
desire to hold him and comfort him somehow, as I was not in a pet store, but in a
farm that sells animals to be slaughtered. We arrived at the entrance, I paid for
him, put him in my car and we left as fast as I could. My daughter had waited for
me in the car. She took the goat and tried to comfort him, but it was impossible.
This little goat was very frightened.

We arrived at our farm and, as we usually do when bringing in a new rescue

animal, we bathed him, fed him and thought about names for him. As I petted him
and tried to calm him down, I couldn't stop thinking about his little brother. It broke
my heart to think that this little goat would be left alone without the company of his
mother and or twin brother.

The next day, the veterinarian saw him and, fortunately, he was healthy, she only
had to vaccinate him and deworm him. That made me feel so joyful, not only for
the health of this cute little goat, but also because it would allow me, perhaps, to
use the money I had earmarked for his rehabilitation to save his little brother.

I went back to the farm but sadly, this time no one would open the gate for me. I
wrote down a phone number I saw on their signs, but no one answered... so I
spent about three days trying to contact them to find out if his little brother was still
alive. With almost no hope nor understanding why this place was not answering my
calls, they finally picked up the phone. I recognized the voice of the man who
caught the goat. I told him I was the one who had taken a goat a few days ago and
that I wanted to know if his brother was still available. His answer was that he did
not know because he was not the only one working on the farm and that the
animals did not last long once they were available for sale, so I asked him to
please check without providing further details.

The day went by and surprisingly, I received his call in the evening telling me that
the baby goat was still available and that if I wanted him, I would have to pick him
up early the following day.

The morning came and my joy overflowed knowing that I was picking up the little
brother of this little goat who was still very surly and fearful. I went for him and,
unlike before, this little goat was already at the entrance of the farm next to the
man waiting for me. I put him in the car, and I also noticed that he was much
calmer. When we arrived, I was able to see him more closely, I was surprised by
the similarity with his brother, they were really identical. Then, the most awaited
moment came, which was to show our first goat the new resident: his little brother.

I couldn't stand the urge. I wanted both goats to meet, so without bathing him and
without respecting the quarantine, I took him to his brother. My daughter and I
witnessed one of the most emotional and beautiful reunions. The little goat ran to
his brother, smelled him and looked at him in a unique way. My daughter Dayanne
and I witnessed again the language they used to show their joy for such a
wonderful reunion. This pair was happy and now inseparable. Seeing them so
united and happy gave us the idea to call them Café Con Leche and Cortadito.
Here in Miami, Cubans make a coffee called cortadito, so those were the names
chosen for this wonderful pair of baby goats.

I continued rescuing animals and with each rescue one I learned more about
these fascinating animals, their behaviors, needs, personalities within their own
species! The rescues took it upon themselves to teach me everything I needed to
learn and understand in order to be a rescuer and a rehabilitator. One of my
favorite lessons was to recognize that, despite the diversity of species we have
on the farm such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, pigs, goats, lambs, horses,
donkeys, cows, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs, wild boars, peacocks, pigeons,
birds, turtles, dogs, cats and others, there really is a language that unites the
species and they are able to communicate their love, pain, respect, differences
and much more.

One day, I decided to sit and watch them. That was one of the most fun days I had
at the farm. I remember that they were all eating, running and interacting with each
other in a unique way. I felt like I was watching one of those movies where the
animals were talking and showing their personalities. At that moment I had
approximately 25 animals in front of me, as if I were sitting watching a play or a
movie.

Each one of them, in its own way, was teaching me that personality is not
something found only in humans, that each one of them has a unique personality
and that, in some cases, they are very differentiated. Among so many roosters and
hens, there was Panchito, a tiny rooster. In spite of his size, his alpha peacock
personality was remarkable, as he walked around the farm and looked like the
most handsome of all, always making himself noticed by all the animals and
humans who came in contact with him.
Panchito was deeply in love with a hen three times his size and, to my great
surprise, his love for Lola, the hen, was mutual. He was always running around any
rooster that came close to his beloved Lola and she followed him with full
confidence that she would be well protected by his side. The difference in size did
not hinder their great love, which was respected by all the other animals on the
farm.

A very good friend of the lovely pair was the funny and amusing: Huevos
Rancheros.

"Huevos Rancheros"

A cute black hen, with bright feathers, very expressive eyes and very agile,
especially for stealing. Yes, you read that right!

This hen was a real thief! Eggs thief! While Panchito and Lola were giving each
other company and love, Huevos Rancheros was moving the eggs of many laying
hens who had abandoned their eggs. She was moving them as if she were a great
soccer player, very fast, but gently and carefully so that the eggs wouldn't break. At
that moment I was very curious to know how many eggs she had collected in her
stash. I counted 28 eggs! As I was looking at the eggs, I was surprised by the
oldest one on the farm: Sahara.

"Sahara"

A 26-year-old miniature donkey. With her tender old lady eyes and slow walk, she
always gets her way...especially sharing everyone's food. She would take food
from the chickens, and take it to the cow. Although others sometimes show their
displeasure at always having to share their food, she cares little. Without a doubt,
she is the most stubborn and hard-headed of our residents.

There she was walking slowly and watching everything, with her big belly that was
the living proof that she had many foals. While I was looking at her, I remembered
a call from a man who expressed his concern about his donkey. He was raising
miniature donkeys and noticed that, besides being old and unable to give him more
foals, she was continually attacked by the younger donkeys, who often did not let
her eat. We welcomed his little donkey who, when arrived, behaved very fearfully.
However, as the days went by, she was the queen of the farm and was accepted,
little by little, by all the animals as if they knew that she was older and deserved
their respect.           

As I remembered all this, she would reach over to rub her head against my leg to
wipe her eyes. Then Sahara and I were surprised by a gentle nudge from the cow.
Yes, a nudge! Ever since the cow discovered her horns - which, by the way, grow
bigger every day - she loves to intimidate by giving slight nudges with her head.

Vegana the cow

The cow is called Vegana. She is black with white spots, long legs, very expressive
eyes and her big nose is always wet. She is very funny, she loves to eat tomatoes
and when we offer them to her, she prances with joy! It is surprising and fun to see
her big belly moving to the rhythm of her big hops, although I think the most
surprising thing is to notice that Vegana doesn't imagine how big she is.
Sometimes, when she sees me walking with fruits in my hands for the animals, she
runs towards me as if I were a puppy running after a ball. That's where I run too,
because I see what she doesn't see: her big size!  

I remember when I saw her for the first time, I had never seen so much tenderness
and panic in one look.

She had a number in one of her ears. It was one of those very common tickets that
all animals have in slaughterhouses. Her body was trapped in a plastic box, which
had an opening so that she could take her head out and drink water or eat. As I
saw her, I did not understand why she was in such a small box in which she could
barely move, so I approached the gentleman standing there and asked:

- Excuse me, it’s curious for me to see that calf in that box, could you tell me the
reason?

He answered:

- The calves are placed in boxes so that they do not develop muscles, lean mass.
This way their meat will be soft, and I will be able to earn much more money for it.

I was shocked to learn where that soft and tender meat that is so popular and so
demanded comes from. I stared at her and she stared at me. I swear I felt that her
gaze was asking for help! I felt confused and overwhelmed, these places generate
a whirlwind of emotions that are very difficult to manage. I took a deep breath and
looked at all the other animals, but it was almost impossible to focus on any animal
other than her.

I asked the gentleman for her price, but she was very expensive. I didn't really
have the money at the moment, it was the amount it would cost me to save five to
six goats, and that made me feel very frustrated. I also asked him if they were
going to kill her that day and he said no. It would probably be the next day. I looked
at her one more time and left regretting that I could not do anything for her at that
moment.

As I drove, I thought about what I could do. I kept thinking about that all day. I
arrived at the farm and after a while, I received a call from my mother, who
immediately noticed that something was wrong with me. I told her that I felt I had to
rescue this calf, but that it was very expensive. 

I told her how frustrated I was because of the many expenses the farm generated.
My mother listened to me carefully and when we were about to say goodbye, she
told me to go get the calf, that she would give me the money for the rescue. I was
very happy and at the same time very anxious. I looked at the clock and realized
that the place was already closed. I took a deep breath and thought: "I will go get
her tomorrow". But then I wondered how I would carry her.

So far, I had transported all the rescued animals in my van, but how could I carry a
calf? It was impossible! So, I quickly called Jose. Jose is a friend who has helped
me a lot on the farm, supporting me in everything to do with building areas for the
rescued; he was the only person I knew with a commercial van, so I called him and
told him the plan. His reaction was a big laugh. He always laughs at my last-minute
plans, to the point that sometimes he answers the phone and says, "Now what are
you up to?". And even if the plan is crazy or hurried, he always smiles and does his
best to support me. So, this time he said, "Ok. I'll pick you up tomorrow and let's go
get the calf!

I woke up the next day with great joy and anxiety. My daughter Dayanne and I
waited for Jose; we got into his truck like two little girls and went to get the calf! The
ride took forever, and the closer we got, the more I prayed that she was still alive.

We got there! I asked Jose to get out and do the purchase, as I was extremely
nervous. From the van, I could see the man with whom I talked about the calf. At
that moment, he was surrounded by other men and they were having a
conversation. I looked at Jose and said, "Please, ask about the calf and act as if
you want it for food or sacrifice, but make it clear that you want it alive! I pointed
out the man Jose had to talk to, from the truck’s window and that's how he started
the plan.

I watched everything from the van's rearview mirror and my nerves were increasing
along with my thoughts. After a few minutes, Jose approached me and told me that
the calf was still alive and that they were going to bring her. I could not control my
excitement. I remember that my daughter and I looked at each other with relief and
joy. Several men brought her in and loaded her into the van with great difficulty due
to her weight, size and muscular atrophy. The calf was very frightened and I was
astonished to see that all of them managed to get her into the truck.

When the van doors closed and Jose said goodbye to the men, we left quickly. I
think that at that moment the joy and nerves were not only mine and my
daughter's, Jose also expressed joy at having experienced saving the life of a little
animal. We drove to Mina's Mini Farm and the calf kept moving around. It was
obvious that she was scared and so was I! Especially since I thought one of her
kicks might open the van doors. Jose drove very carefully and we finally arrived.

When we arrive with a rescue animal at the farm, we always have the same
routine. Part of the routine is to drive to where the animals are. I do this only when
a new rescue arrives and all the animals already know it! The farm is never silent,
you always hear all the active species with their ways and languages, but
whenever we get out of the van with a new rescue, all the animals come closer,
observe and keep silent.

The calf was very scared, but she gradually calmed down. We left her alone to
make her feel safe and, in the distance, we could see her trying to stand up.
Although she had very weak legs and could hardly do it, she managed to stand up.

The next day we approached her, although she was already calmer in her space,
she was still very scared when she saw us. At some point, I walked up to her,
stared at her and said, "Your name will be Vegana. Your name will send a
message to everyone who meets you." I smiled and promised to earn her trust.
And so it was. Vegana runs, walks and feels like the queen of the farm, in fact, she
is the alpha of all species and herd.

"Ms Piggy"

This cute and special little piggy is a white-haired mini pot-bellied. All white-haired
piggies look pink because her fur is very visible, which makes them look
completely pink. She has short legs and a big nose, brown eyes and a unique
personality, especially since she doesn't like to interact with other animals.

I remember the first day I saw her. She was very small and was at a farm that sells
animals for religious sacrifices. According to the guy who worked there, she was a
mistake in the truck that came with animals to his farm. The boy said to me, "Buy
her and save her. She will stay small. She arrived by mistake, maybe they didn't
realize that she entered the truck along with the other animals, because I don't sell
this kind of pig here.”
Regardless of whether she was going to stay small or not, I bought her and took
her to the farm. The whole ride, she screamed like she was going to be killed. That
day I learned that piggies can scream as loud as if they had a built-in microphone!
We arrived at the farm and she was very spoiled, especially since she was the first
Mina's Mini Farm pig. This beautiful little pig is very special to me, she gave me
one of the most beautiful gifts of my life.

"Cleo"

The fruit of Ms Piggy's love with Bacon, a Vietnamese piglet.

Bacon was a gift from a friend. This little pig was much smaller in size than Ms
Piggy, black in color with a white little spot on his head, expressive eyes, short legs
and a beautiful little belly that almost dragged against the floor, but the most
striking thing was his special size. It was really very small, its size disproved that
micro pigs do not exist. It is worth mentioning that farm pigs can reach a weight of
up to 880 pounds, for this reason, pigs that reach up to 154 pounds are called
"mini pigs" and pigs that reach from 44 pounds to 59 pounds are called "micro
pigs". 

Bacon, without a doubt, was a mini pig and from the moment he arrived at the farm
he fell in love with Ms Piggy. I remember that when one of our veterinarians visited,
I told her that I did not want them to reproduce, since our job was to rescue and,
within our possibilities, we tried to minimize reproduction among our rescues as
much as possible. She laughed and told me: 

"Amina, the only way this pair is going to make it to have babies is for him to take a
bench to reach her. Look how small he is."

I looked at him and laughed so hard, because he was actually very small
compared to her. I forgot completely about that idea.

After a few months, something very sad and unexpected happened. I found Bacon
lying in his resting area and quickly picked him up. My daughter and I did not
understand what it was, but he was dying without any visible sign of what was
happening to him. Amidst our confusion, helplessness and sadness, we called the
veterinarian who, at the time, was not available and only about five minutes after
finding him, he passed away. The veterinarian returned our call and we arranged to
check his body for an autopsy; a few days later the results indicated that it was a
heart attack. 

Approximately three months passed, Ms Piggy missed him. It was very obvious in
her behavior, but it was also noticeable that her belly was getting bigger every day
and that her walk was not the same. She walked very slowly and kept drinking a lot
of water, more than usual. I watched her and felt very sure that she was pregnant,
but I also wondered how it was possible, there was no way! Despite my doubts, I
called the vet and asked her to visit us. When she arrived, she examined her and
told me:

- She is pregnant and will have her piglets very soon.

- So, Bacon found a bench somewhere on the farm, did he? I said.

She just smiled and nodded her head. It was a great surprise. I was very happy. A
few days passed until the big moment arrived! I went to Ms Piggy's area to bring
her food and we found five little pigs, two little black ones, almost a replica of
Bacon, and three white ones that looked pink like their mom. Sadly, one of the pink
ones was dead. The veterinarian had already warned us that it was very common,
that some or even several could die during or after farrowing due to complications
or any other conditions. We took all the piglets to Ms Piggy and brought them to
the farm house, cleaned them up and placed them in a warm and comfortable area
for the new mom to rest along with her babies.

We decided to call our veterinarian for directions and ask her to visit us to see all
the piglets. As she arrived, we were fascinated watching this mother pig with her
piglets. It was my first time witnessing a mother pig with her babies. A couple of
hours later, the veterinarian arrived and told us that we should give iron to all the
piglets, as they are usually born with little iron in their blood. She also told us that
we should buy a metal separator that they use in hatcheries and slaughterhouses
when they have mothers, especially first-time sows, as it is very common for them
to unknowingly step on their piglets.