British Columbia

7-week-old goat suffering from frostbite and listed as a 'meat goat' on Kijiji rescued by B.C. sanctuary

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Animal sanctuary needs to raise $5,000 for prosthetic leg for injured goat

Zuri the baby goat is recovering from a leg amputation at an animal sanctuary in Tappen, B.C., after having frostbite. (Diane Nicholson)

A seven-week-old goat named Zuri is lucky to be alive.

After being born in the cold, and contracting frostbite, her original owner in northern B.C. put her up for sale on Kijiji, listing her as a possible pet or "meat goat."

Diane Nicholson, founder of Twin Heart Animal Sanctuary in Tappen, B.C., saw the ad and knew she had to adopt Zuri.

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"I was not looking for another goat. We already had six," she told CBC's Dominika Lirette.

"Once I learned about her I couldn't unlearn and it would haunt me so I had to bring her here."

Zuri is wearing bandages around the leg she had to have partially amputated, but her new owner is hoping to raise $7,000 for a prosthetic leg. (Diane Nicholson)

Nicholson's friends met the original owner in Cache Creek and brought Zuri home to the sanctuary, which is currently home to 38 animals.

As soon as the goat arrived, Nicholson took her to the veterinarian, who discovered major bone damage to her left hind leg as a result of the frostbite.

About two inches had to be removed from the young goat's left leg. Her right hind leg is also losing pieces of skin from the frostbite, and it's still unclear whether Zuri will lose that leg too.

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Nicholson found someone who can make prosthetic limbs for animals, all the way from "puppies to elephants," but it's going to cost about $5,000 for one leg, plus additional costs for veterinarian visits. If the other leg needs to be amputated, that cost will increase.

"I'm hoping that a brace will do for that one but we'll see we'll see how it goes," Nicholson said. "She's on pain relief now, but not very much anymore. I've cut down to every other day and she seems to do well."

In the meantime, Nicholson is taking her time getting to know her new friend. Zuri spends a lot of time on Nicholson's lap, and even spent her first seven nights at the sanctuary sleeping in bed with her new caregivers.

"She's an absolute sweetheart. She's just the dearest little old soul," Nicholson said.

With files from Dominika Lirette