Oliver Martin: The Little Goat That Could

It was a cold winter’s night on Martin Luther King Jr. Day when two tiny goats entered the world in Fairland, Oklahoma. Unfortunately, they soon learned that the world could be a cruel place when their mother rejected them and left them to fend for themselves in the snow. One baby goat managed to survive the night leaving him with frostbitten ears and hooves but his twin passed away.

Things were looking bleak for this brave little guy until he was discovered by his rescuer. He was saved by a young lady who turned him over to the loving arms of her family at the Snell mini animal farm. His new mother Shani Snell, the Early Childhood Education Department Head at Community Care College, dubbed him Oliver “Twist” Martin and his life was forever changed.

Because Oliver was so young, he needed to be bottle fed every 3 hours. This is how a darling little pygmy goat came into the lives of the employees and students of Community Care College. Every time Shani came to campus on Tuesday, she would bring him to the Veterinary Assistant class and they would care for him while she was instructing.

“My daughter brought Oliver home on a Monday evening and I had no idea what to do with this fragile baby goat. I quickly emailed Lisette and Ashley at CCC and they said that he was welcome to come to work with me the next day. The instructors and students in the Veterinary Assistant program helped care for him that day and have continued to do so every Tuesday. Oliver teaches us all something new every week,” said Shani.

Oliver is currently being kept inside as he never received colostrum (the protective first milk from his mother) and is susceptible to disease. Oliver suffered from frost bite on his ears and back foot and was not using his rear leg well, giving him a limp. He had his first veterinary visit when he was 2 weeks old and the Veterinarian gave him medication to help him heal. His frost bitten ear tips have now fallen off and his sore hoof is improving with each passing day. Oliver is being slowly introduced to hay and pellet feed and should wean off of his bottle feeding around 8 weeks of age. As he matures and his immune system becomes stronger, he will be introduced into Shani’s pygmy goat herd.

Meanwhile, none of this has slowed Oliver down. He can often be found prancing in the hallways or curled up in someone’s arms. He lifts the spirits of everyone he meets and often gives guests a happy little surprise. Oliver has captured the hearts of everyone at college.

“The VA class is so fortunate to have the opportunity to help bottle feed and keep little Oliver comfortable on Tuesdays. We monitor his weight gain and the improvement of his gait as he recovers from his frostbite injury. He is teaching the students about the level of nutritional care needed for a juvenile ruminant as well as their daily need for exercise and enrichment. His little goat antics bring joy to the VA class and to the entire campus with his visits. He truly is a little miracle!” shared Dr. Lisette Wigton, Veterinary Assistant Department Head.

His beginning may have been fraught with peril but he has persevered and found a forever home. We hope he continues to thrive with his new herd and we look forward to his campus visits and to hearing about his life adventures from Shani.

More info: communitycarecollege.edu

Oliver Martin: The Little Goat That Could