Community college students in North Carolina are helping a baby goat walk normally again

By CNN Newsource

Published April 16, 2025 10:07 AM

By Joshua Davis

WILKES COUNTY, North Carolina (WXII) — One little goat’s story of hope and perseverance is resonating with folks in Wilkes County.

Her name is Millie, a 3-month-old New Zealand Kiko goat. In late January, when she was born on Seven Stands Farm in Wilkes County, her mother left her to the cold.

“I found Millie,” said Jamie Miles, one of the owners. “She was just lifeless in the trailer, and I actually thought she had passed or was dead, and the other two brothers were fine. So I really just picked her up to move her out of the trailer and take her to bury her, and then she just made a little noise, a little squeak. So I told Sarah we would have to try.”

And try they did, slowly bringing her back to life, but not without another complication — a limp in her front right leg that just would not go away because of an infection. The Mileses had two choices.

“It was either euthanize Millie or find her a home, and we kind of felt the bond with her,” they said. “We just couldn’t stand the thoughts of — she’s too sweet to put to sleep. So we reached out to Tiffany because she had taken goats from us before.”

Tiffany, Millie’s current owner, said she immediately connected with Millie as soon as she saw her.

Ultimately, Millie had her leg amputated. Tiffany started looking into getting the goat a prosthetic. After researching various options, Tiffany approached an instructor at Wilkes Community College’s industrial engineering department.

“We set up a time to come out and have them measure,” said Tiffany. “The students loved her and they measured her leg, and now they’re working on it.”

In the meantime, Millie’s resilience and story are already making waves in Wilkes County.

“I currently take my certified therapy dog to Wilkes Assisted Living once a month, and they are now open to having Millie come out and visit,” said Tiffany. “She also is going to, hopefully, when she gets her prosthetic, be able to volunteer in hospitals where maybe children have prosthetic legs, or even veterans and anyone that she can help, that we can use her story for good.”

Tiffany says they are counting down the days until the prosthetic is ready, and they are looking forward to Millie having a long and happy life.

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