Harper: The Tender Heart

In October 2015 Farm Sanctuary, along with other rescue groups, was called to a cruelty case in the Hudson Valley. There they found almost 200 animals kept in deplorable conditions. The owner was slaughtering animals on site. Farm Sanctuary took the sickest animals: 30 goats, 14 pigs, 7 sheep and 7 cattle. The cattle and sheep had varying stages of pinkeye, the goats were emaciated and lice-infested, and the pigs were housed in dark pens with over a foot of liquid manure.

Little Harper was the first goat National Shelter Director, Susie Coston saw. Harper  appeared to be looking desperately for her mother, who was likely among the many dead animals discovered there. She followed Susie everywhere she went. Harper was clearly in bad shape. Once at Cornell, doctors found she was not only emaciated and covered in diarrhea, but also suffering from bronchitis, pruritis, anemia, a heavy load of internal parasites, and a nasty infestation of biting and sucking lice. Harper remained at Cornell for nearly two weeks, too weak to return to the shelter.

She returned to Farm Sanctuary to convalesce at the Melrose Small Animal Hospital. She made friends with Levi and Romy while healing, and in January of 2016 she made her way with all her friends to be part of The Hey Friend Foundation Family.

Harper had a very rough start but she’s survived and thrived. Harper packs a wallop into a small package and a wallop is what you’ll get if you try to push her around. She’s playful gurrrrl but she don’t play. Her hard exterior belies a smushy soft center. She acts as if she wants her space but if she then realizes no one is around, she runs to find everyone. Her favorite person is her caregiver, Jarrod. Harper’s is the first face you’ll see waiting at the window in the morning and who wouldn’t want to see that!