Though they came to Farm Sanctuary years apart, they act as though they’ve known each other forever. We love seeing how they keep growing better, together!

Since these two came to Farm Sanctuary from similar situations, it’s no wonder that they’ve formed a special bond. Each had been kept in a private home as a companion animal — and in both cases, circumstances had left them alone, without any other goats around to make them truly feel at home.

Because goats are herd animals, an only goat truly is a lonely goat. Freddy, for one, took his isolation quite hard. Though his human family loved him and tried to do right by him, he needed much more than they could provide. Freddy would often escape his quarters — perhaps in search of the companionship he craved from other goats. His family grew worried for his safety and brought him to a local animal shelter, hoping that he might find a better match for his needs.

As soon as we learned about Freddy’s situation, we asked if we could give him a forever home at Farm Sanctuary, and the little goat joined our Southern California Shelter family shortly thereafter.

Freddy fit right in from the start. Though he has always been quite shy around humans, he found the love and support he craved in his new herd mates. Always sweet and charming, Freddy was beloved by all; we often found him lounging on the hillsides or snuggling close in the barn with his goat friends, and he clearly felt at peace and accepted everywhere he turned.

While Freddy had found his group, however, it took some time to find his “person” — that one individual who could understand and complement him like nobody else. That is, until Cali arrived last summer and filled a void in Freddy’s life.

Unlike Freddy, Cali had not always lived alone. Before coming to Farm Sanctuary, she and another goat had lived with a family as companion animals; in fact, Cali’s humans had adopted her to keep their first goat company. While the girls got along swimmingly, however, their bond was sadly short-lived; within the year, Cali’s friend became sick and passed away. Cali was despondent in her grief. Her family knew she needed to be around other goats, but did not feel that they could take any more on at that point. So they reached out to Farm Sanctuary and asked if sweet Cali could come to live with us. We agreed, hoping that Cali might find the love and comfort she needed.

Every animal who comes to Farm Sanctuary must first go through a quarantine period to ensure that they are healthy enough to integrate with our established residents. But this period kept apart from other animals can be difficult for residents like Cali, who thrive in a herd. Despite lots of doting attention from our caregiving staff, Cali remained depressed and desperate to be around other goats. Once medically cleared to be around our other residents, we introduced her to our sheep flock — a group that is also home to some of our gentler goat residents, like Freddy. As soon as Cali laid eyes on him, she perked up right away and seemed to make it her mission to befriend him.

Freddy, however, initially wasn’t so sure. Suspicious of Cali’s keen interest, he shyly retreated whenever she approached. Taking a cue from Freddy, she began to take things at a slower pace. Each day, she inched closer and closer to Freddy, placing herself as close to him as he would allow. One day, he finally let Cali sit beside him, and they’ve been together ever since!

These days, though, the tables have turned; once Freddy reciprocated Cali’s affection, she began to play hard to get! Now, love-stricken Freddy follows Cali everywhere she goes! While she clearly calls the shots in their relationship, the love they share is mutual. Once Cali tires of their little game, she and Freddy settle down side by side. The pair does almost everything together — from eating, to lounging, to sleeping next to each other at night. One look at them, and it’s clear that they are #BetterTogether!

This partnership has helped Freddy and Cali become the very best versions of themselves. Cali no longer feels lonely, and Freddy has started to come out of his shell. Each goat clearly feels more secure and comfortable, and together, they are unstoppable.

This Valentine’s Day, we invite you to celebrate love in a new and meaningful way by sponsoring Freddy and Cali or another of our featured farm animal valentines! Your one-time donation will help support your sponsored animals’ happy lives at sanctuary and make all of our rescue, education, and advocacy work possible. As a sponsor, you’ll receive a special digital valentine featuring your new animal friends, which can be printed for yourself or given as a Valentine’s Day gift to a compassionate loved one!