All animals are different, but the capacity to love wholeheartedly that so many of them have is one of their best qualities — especially when it comes to dogs. If you ever want to know what real unconditional love feels like, adopt a dog. No matter who you are or where you come from or what mistakes you make, a dog will be there to love on you at the end of the day, tail wagging and happy to see you come home. And it’s not just people who dogs share this love with; it’s their fellow animals, too.
And somehow, many of them seem to know exactly where that love and acceptance is needed most, like the Great Pyrenees in this TikTok video that would melt even the coldest heart!
@bristolloveslucy#livestockguardiandogs #livestockguardiandogsoftiktok #greatpyrenees #greatpyreneesoftiktok #babygoats #babygoatsoftiktok
The Great Pyrenees, whose name is Bristol, in this video shared by @bristolloveslucy on Monday, February 26, is a livestock guardian on a farm, which means she protects the animals on the farm from predators. Just by looking at her, we can tell she’s a hard working girl!
And apparently, she’s decided that surrogate mom is part of that job description, too. When this baby goat was unfortunately rejected by his mom, Bristol wasted no time stepping in to make sure that he felt loved and protected.
Just seeing the way they interact — and even how Bristol is giving her tons of kisses — makes me think that somehow, this dog could sense that the goat needed her. This is too sweet.
Why do goats reject their babies?
Heartbreakingly enough, this baby goat’s situation isn’t a unique one — unfortunately, mama goats (among other animals) do reject their babies sometimes.
But why? There are a variety of reasons that this happens, but the first sign is that the new mom won’t allow her baby to nurse. Birth can be a traumatic process for animals, just like it can be for humans, and while recovering from something so major, not all goats are ready to jump into motherhood.
Other times, it could be because the mom gave birth to a lot of kids and can’t feed them all, or because she can tell there might be a problem with the baby, but sometimes, it will be impossible to tell what exactly went wrong.
This can be temporary, and after a little while, the mama may decide to nurse and care for her baby. But if it doesn’t, you should act quickly, because some goats will try to head butt their young, which can kill or seriously injure them.
The baby goat can still survive and thrive on being bottle fed, but it is quite a bummer to see, which is all the more reason that Bristol is a true hero.
Everybody needs a friend like her!
