Goodbye, Lil’ Guy
We lost a piece of our heart today. We euthanized Lil’ Guy. It was something we expected to do shortly after he arrived in May, but he made it clear every day that he wasn’t giving up yet. He was strong and he wasn’t done with life.
But lately, that amazing strength began to fail him. It became harder and harder for him to walk without falling. Eventually, he stopped trying. Once again he made himself clear. He was ready to go.
It’s difficult to say goodbye to someone you love, but we take comfort knowing that his life and his death were on his terms.
Thank you for all your love and encouraging words over the last few months. Lil’ Guy undoubtedly felt it and based his strength on it. We love you for loving him.
Love Spoken Here, Sanctuary Life
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Oh, I’m so sorry to hear this sad news. I got to spend some time with him last month. Such a sweet baby. Godspeed, Lil’ Guy.
So sad, he died right on my older son’s birthday! My son,Patrick just turned 29 today.
To the amazing, compassionate, resilient staff of CAS, in changing the life of Lil’ Guy, in showing him that unconditional love exists and thrives, he has forever changed you. Carry him with you always. Hugs and love to you all.
Fell in love with Lil’ Guy in late June. Spent a few days watching him live a happy life at the farm. His photo hangs in our home. He showed such love and gentleness. Thank you Kathy for sharing him with us during our visit. You took the time to let us know a little bit about him. But he told us the big story.
So sorry to heRe this. My daughter and I got to meet him in July when she was there for camp. He was such a sweet calf. I’m glad he had 3 wonderful months at your sanctuary.
Couldn’t little guy have those wheel things they make for other animals that are handicap? I would of help pay for that. Those sling wheels and they can rest all their weight and just use their front legs?
Thanks for your question, Katherine. We would have loved nothing more than to provide Lil’ Guy with a wheelchair that allowed him to propel himself on his front legs. (We were one of the first farm sanctuaries — if not the very first — to use wheelchairs for farmed animals. Our custom-made wheelchair for a beloved special-needs goat named Atlas has been loaned many times to sanctuaries needing assistance for compromised animal friends.)
Sadly, though, our beloved Lil’ Guy didn’t have good front legs. When he came to us, one leg out of four was reasonably straight and strong, but with every passing day, it rotated outward. We had a host of experts looking at him and trying mightily to help: chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists, animal surgeons from Tufts University. All of them urged us to euthanize him, but we continued on with optimism, because for many weeks, Lil’ Guy’s will overcame the limitations of his crippled body. We researched custom wheelchairs. We researched mobile devices that would lift him no matter where he fell –and he fell often, and he fell hard.
In the end, Lil’ Guy made it very clear that despite his outsized will, his spirit that touch us all, his body just couldn’t do it anymore. He stoped trying to stand, even when we helped him. He was ready to go. We are grateful that he made that choice abundantly clear.
He and his lessons will live on forever.
U called him little guy but he had the strength and courage to live out his life in your big loving and caring arms. This is what life should be all about. The loving and caring for those in need
I am so very sorry for your loss of Little Guy, but appreciate the great strides you had made in trying to extend his quality of life. RIP Little Guy. Your spirit will live on.
Thank you helping Lil Guy’s along his journey… he made this world a better place in the short time he shared it with you and for those who will remember him dearly. God bless.
What a touching story. What a beautiful spirit. Thank you so much for giving him the chance to feel love. Without you, he would’ve known nothing but sadness, misery, and quite likely at the end terror. He made his short life truly beautiful.
sorry to hear kathy! thank you for letting us be with him and all those other beauties. looking forward to the shin dig tomorrow!!!
Its so hard in this world today, to see so much I and me, when did we start thinking we were immortal and that the more possessions we have make our lives better and nothing else matters? Well, other Lives Do matter. If you use your wealth ,be it big, small or nearly enough to help someone or some other life, you are then helping the world. Thank you Catskill Animal Sanctuary and may you be Blessed for all you have done for Lil’ Guy. He left this world knowing what it was like to feel love and caring from humans that Do care.
Yes, Joe, we agree. ALL lives do matter. We’re grateful, especially during this challenging time, for your big heart.