Bronco was one of the original Washington animals who traveled with us to Tennessee when we moved in 2021. He’d been attacked by dogs in his former home, and when the owner could not afford the vet care, she called animal control to have him euthanized. The animal control officer recognized that his injuries were not lethal, and she instead called for sanctuary level help for Bronco. We had Bronco’s tattered ears fixed, and he lived quite a few years in the safety of sanctuary with us.
Bronco had something called Johnes’ disease, which is a very poorly understood disease process that causes destruction of the intestinal lining in ruminant animals. When he died suddenly, the assumption was that he suffered from a complication related to that, but there were no signs of that during the necropsy exam. He passed overnight without any signs of trauma or sickness, and the necropsy gave no definitive cause of death.
Bronco lived a very comfortable life here with us, and we’re extremely proud of making that happen for him. He was gentle and friendly. He loved treats and scratches. He lived among a small herd of other goats and sheep who all shared his diagnosis, and they lived in safety and peace and freedom together.