Dogs, goats and the elderly

I think that people that don't know me probably think I am crazy, there are probably more than a few that do know me that know I am. I do pet visits at the local care center. I started taking my Border Collie Clyde when he was 6 mo old, but I also take in what ever baby animals I may have that are young enough for the elderly to hold on their laps.
The baby goats grow so fast that by the time they are a few weeks old they are too big and wiggly to take to the center. I decided it would be nice to have a little goat that would stay small longer to take in. Some friends that own Nigerian Dwarfs gave me a little 3 hour old buck kid. He weighted in at a whopping 3.5 pounds and was the cutest baby you could ask for. I kept him in the house and cuddled him as much as possible so he would sit on their laps. It worked because often he would take a nap while the stroked his soft fur.

Unfortunately he did not stay little. By the time Gilligan, the goat, was 4 months old he was too naughty to keep in the house, and he was moved into the barn with the other goats. Even though he is over 50 pounds I continue to take him in. He wears Depends to cut down on accidents. More than one person has commented that he wears diaper just like they do. The residents still love him and are disappointed on the days that they only get the dog.

The other day I had him in the house while he dried from his bath. He gets a bath on the day he goes visiting. I had him on a leash and was heading out the door, when who should walk in but the FedEx man. I tried to explain about the pet visits, and he said he understood, but I could see that he thought I must be a tad touched. He isn't the only one that has done a double take when I am walking in town with Gilligan. The looks on people's faces as we walk into the care center are priceless. People will look then look again. Then as if they can't believe what they are seeing they will ask, "That isn't a dog is it?". Or "Is that a goat?"

All the strange looks are worth it for the joy he brings to the residents. They have watched him grow up and to them he is theirs. He has laid on more than one bed with a smiling patient. I will continue to take Gilligan in to see his friends. The baths, the naughtyness while in the house and the strange looks are all worth it for the smiles I see on the residents faces.