Original Article: https://blog.theanimalrescuesite.greatergood.com/hopie-goat-walks/

For a long time, Hopie the goat has been struggling with a balance issue of some sort that has kept her from walking. She had been taken to the vet, but they were always unable to give her a diagnosis or help her get better.

Luckily for Hopie, there are places in the world like Little Buckets Farm Sanctuary, where caring humans provide love and support to injured or ill animals like Hopie without expecting anything in return.

Little Buckets Farm Sanctuary is a nonprofit that takes in farm-type animals that are in need of special care and attention. Hopie definitely fit the bill. This little girl is so lucky to have found a place where she could receive the extra love and attention she needs and deserves!

Susan, Hopie’s new “mom” at the farm sanctuary, noticed that she was a spunky little creature with an obvious desire to stand up and move around, but she couldn’t seem to keep her balance or keep her head going in the right direction. When lifted up, Hopie would try valiantly to stand, but her head would lilt dramatically to one side, causing the rest of her body to follow, and she’d be on the ground again in no time.

Over time, Hopie began to have more success as her caretakers continued to work with her on standing and walking. She began to show a bit more balance and was always determined to try to walk, even though she never quite reached that stage. The folks at Little Buckets Farm Sanctuary knew they could do better for her.

So Hopie’s caretakers decided to do something special to help her. They ordered her a custom wheeled cart to keep her body aligned in the right position and keep her from falling over when her head drooped to the side.

There was a bit of a learning curve, of course, but Hopie immediately fell in love with her cart and was soon walking around and even running with the support of the cart.

The cart has truly been a miracle for Hopie. It has given her new strength, balance, and confidence—so much so that her caregivers eventually decided it was time to see if she was able to stand up on her own. They took her out of the cart and helped her stand, and, for once, Hopie was able to balance on her own!

Before long, Hopie was taking shaky steps on her own four feet. Today, she’s able to walk and run without the aid of her cart, although her head still likes to move sideways, making her look a little silly. But all the same, she’s completely mobile, and that’s something to be grateful for!

It took less than two months for Hopie to go from almost completely immobile to running on her own. We’re so proud of this spunky girl and so thankful for her caretakers, the people who believed in her and helped her get her legs under her!

See how far Hopie has come in such a short time in the video below!

Source: The Animal Rescue Site Blog