Helping Our Lil’ Guy

Tomorrow is a big day for one little guy: specifically our “Lil’ Guy,” a special needs calf who arrived four weeks ago when a beef producer released him to us. At 5:30 a.m., we’re loading him into our trailer and heading to the veterinary school at Tufts University, where X-rays and nerve function tests will help us determine which of several options is right for him.

Lil’ Guy has a bad leg (which he drags when he walks) and a crooked spine. He’s been like this from birth, unable to walk unless first lifted by a human. Once he’s on his feet, he spreads his three good legs in tripod fashion to keep himself upright. Sometimes he falls when he takes a misstep. It’s not an easy thing to watch.

When we first agreed to accept Lil’ Guy, we imagined that the right thing would be to euthanize him to end what appeared to be enormous suffering. “He has no quality of life,” we said when we saw the video sent by a concerned friend of the farmer. But at Catskill Animal Sanctuary, our job is to ensure that each animal thrives. It’s not as straightforward as it sounds because they’re all individuals with unique preferences, personalities, and needs. And, as with all the decisions that have come before it, the decision about whether and when to euthanize an animal has as much — maybe more — to do with whether that animal wants to carry on as it does to do with his suffering. The questions we ask when considering euthanasia can’t be limited to, “Is he suffering?” and “Will this condition improve with proper care?” but should include, “What is he telling us? What does he want?”

What Lil’ Guy wants is to live. Despite a bum leg and a crooked spine, Lil’ Guy has as strong a life force as any I’ve ever felt in 15 years of working with animals. Surrounded by love, receiving daily physical therapy, lying in a generously bedded double-sized stall, he’s improved remarkably in four short weeks. Each morning, we open his door, and he chooses when to leave to begin his day outside. Not only does he no longer need help getting up: he also spends most of his entire day out in the sun, grazing to his heart’s content. When it’s time for bed at six p.m., getting him back to the barn can be a challenge! Lil’ Guy, in short, is more than a trooper. He’s an inspiration.

And so: when Lil’ Guy is lifted onto the trailer at 5:30 a.m. tomorrow, many, many hearts will go with him. Three of us are traveling with him, all uncertain of what the day will bring. As of now, there are three possible options:

1. Surgery to shorten the ligaments that are fused and hardened and prevent his knee from bending (which is why he drags his leg)
2. If nerve function tests suggest that surgery will likely not work, returning home with him and devising a rigorous rehab program that could include physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture, herbs, water therapy, and more.
3. Euthanasia

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Four weeks ago today, I honestly imagined that we were accepting a little life only to end it — that we were taking Lil’ Guy in to end his suffering. Indeed, it’s likely that many of you watching him think, “Oh my God … please put him down.” But the powerful lessons offered by our crooked little calf are lessons of being “in the moment,” lessons of seeing and feeling each individual to determine a course of action, and lessons, for sure, about the power of love in overcoming adversity.

So, having the gift of knowing one special animal, we feel fairly strongly that euthanasia is not in his best interest. We’re prepared to change our minds, of course, based on what X-rays and nerve tests reveal. After all, this is about what’s right for him, not about what we might want.

Please keep Lil’ Guy in your thoughts tomorrow, and we’ll keep you posted as we learn more. If we do bring him home without surgery (option 2), we’ll certainly need your help as an extensive and lengthy rehabilitation program will be costly. We hope you’ll be there for him.