positive thinking

The second of April 2019

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Many goats are so beloved by the communities they live in. For example, recently in the United States, the town of Fair Haven, Vermont, elected a goat named Lincoln to preside as mayor. The village of Cushendun in Northern Ireland had a similar beloved town goat; however, Johann, to my knowledge, never held elected office. He served the village of Cushendun as a volunteer greeter to visitors hoping to enjoy the Victorian architecture settled along the sea. Sadly, Johann served Cushendun until 2001, when he was the last animal to put to rest during the great Foot and Mouth Outbreak that brought the agriculture to a halt in the United Kingdom. Many people now visit Cushendun because it was the setting of an infamous scene from the popular television show Game of Thrones when sorceress Melisandre birthed a shadow. If you find yourself looking for the cave of the shadow baby, you can’t miss the statue built to celebrate the life of Johann the goat, welcoming you to the village.

The statue commemorating Johann the Goat was sculpted in 2002 by artist Deborah Brooks.

The thirtieth of March 2019

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Every now and then it is good to stop what you are doing and take a look around. You might glimpse something amazing.

You might witness something wonderful if you pause for a moment!

The twenty ninth of March 2019

goats

There is always something to look forward to, whether it is a big cake on your birthday, a new adventure over the Easter holidays, a sunny day, or even a good night’s rest.

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Springtime always fills me with hope.

The twenty eighth of March 2019

goats

Don’t get stuck in the day to day, keep your eyes and mind on the bigger picture. Things are never as bad as they seem, and you never know, one day you have your head stuck in a fence, in a few months you might be on top of the world.

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Don’t worry, you’ll get through it. 

The twenty second of March 2019

goats

You may have noticed that for the past week or so, Goat of the Day has featured animals from The Haven Zoo, outside of Atlanta, Georgia. The Haven was founded by JohnieSue Thurman, an anthropologist who studied human and primate interactions in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and has over 14 years of experience working with animals. She also designed and conducted a research project that analyzed zoos in 15 different countries on four different continents to understand how each zoo cared for animals as well as making information about conservation available to the public. It is really inspiring that there are people like JohnieSue who set out with a dream dedicated to the greater good, and make it happen. Check out ways to support JohnieSue’s mission and/or volunteer.

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JohnieSue, Otis the goat and Hutton the llama

The twentieth of March 2019

goats

Today is one of my favorite days of the entire year – the Vernal Equinox, when the sun stands over the equator and the night and day are equal in length. Most importantly, due to the location of the sun, this marks the beginning of spring and the end of winter. From this day onward, there will be more sunlight than night until the sunlight begins to descend back southward at the beginning of summer in late June. I hope that wherever you are, you enjoyed some sunshine today.

Today, I am introducing a friend of the goats from The Haven Zoo, a donkey named Rocky. Goats are not often discriminatory of the friends they chose on the basis of species, as goats have notably been friends with tigers, dogs, giraffes, cats and horses. In addition to being friends, donkeys are often kept on farms to protect smaller animals from predators like coyotes and wild dogs. Check out how to support Rocky and his friends at the Haven!

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Rocky and the herd enjoying some sunshine

The nineteenth of March 2019

goats

Today’s goat of the day today was named by one of The Haven Zoo‘s most dedicated supporters, Dr. Cassandra White, a medical anthropologist who inspires many students to think critically about the world we live in. When Dr. White is not in the classroom enlightening students, she has ongoing field work in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil researching Hansen’s Disease (leprosy). She has named today’s goat Bernie! Find out more how you can support Bernie and The Haven Zoo!

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Say hello to Bernie!

 

The eighteenth of March 2019

goats

Do you ever have one of those days where your look just comes together? Sometimes, when your look is super on point it exudes a certain confidence and self-assuredness to the world – it can be an awesome feeling! Of course, having a good hair day is great and the perfect Outfit Of The Day can gather many approvals on Instagram, but it’s all the stuff on the inside that brings it together and lets it shine! Today’s goat of the day is Elvis, from The Haven Zoo, a confident fellow whose look is always on point. Is it because of his awesome horns or carefully coordinated white and black coat? Or, is it because Elvis knows he’s awesome? Don’t forget to check out how to support The Haven!

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Elvis never worries about having a bad hair day!

The sixteenth of March 2019

goats

There are those of us who have the ability to totally go with the flow. Meet Brownie, another caprine friend from The Haven Zoo. Brownie is known for being super chill and getting along with everyone, humans, animals, and even our shy, special goat of the day from yesterday, Cece. Sometimes, the best thing to do in life is just to accept where you are, in the now and be grateful for what’s around. Things aren’t so bad, and you might realize that your now is actually your sanctuary. Please check out The Haven and consider their opportunities to volunteer and support!

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Brownie knows how to chill and is a friend to all. 

The fifteenth of March 2019

goats

Wonderful things come in small packages, for example Cece from The Haven Zoo! Before she found a home at the haven, she was attacked by wild dogs when she was young, affecting her growth. She doesn’t usually hang out with the herd, due to her smaller size and some of her particular needs she gets extra attention from her human caregivers and non-caprine zoo-mates, especially the pigs! Cece is proof positive that you don’t have to be the biggest and you don’t have to blend in to find your place in the world. If you are interested in opportunities to support Cece and her friends, check out opportunities to volunteer and support The Haven Zoo!

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Doesn’t Cece have an amazing smile?