"Until one has loved an animal, 

A part of one's soul remains unawakened."

Anatole France

A young boy named David

Has an ailment known as ADHD*

But luckily he has two best friends

Who help him cope most graciously

David’s friends happen to be goats

One is a caramel pygmy** named D.J.

The other is an Alpine named Blessing

And for David they always have time to play

All three of them could be found watching TV

Or out back gleefully romping on the trampoline

David and his two best friends shared everything

Including fruit juice junk food and sunflower seeds

And David’s two very best friends in the entire world

Even used to happily walk with him to meet the school bus

But David’s neighbors recently decided that goats can’t be pets

So they want his friends gone – and they’re making quite a fuss

David’s mother sadly says they cannot afford to move anywhere

And this young lad will be completely lost without his two friends

It seems we live in a world that even crucifies handicapped children

And I wonder when and why humanity’s compassion came to an end

To me this is a very similar situation to the wounded soldier and her dog

Most people insisted that Air Force rules had to be followed and obeyed

But thankfully many others finally used their hearts instead of their heads

That rule was changed - allowing those two friends to remain together today

©2006, Ed Kostro

*ADHD - Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a medical condition that becomes apparent in some children in the preschool and early school years. It’s extremely hard for children afflicted with ADHD to control their behavior and/or to pay attention in school.

And a child with ADHD faces a difficult but not insurmountable task ahead. In order to achieve his or her full potential, he or she must receive help, guidance, and understanding from parents, counselors, the educational system, and his/her neighbors.

David has been able to keep his school grades up because he knows he doesn't get to play with, or take care of his two best friends, unless he does well in school.

And very sadly for him, his pals D.J. and Blessing can’t accompany him to the school bus stop anymore – his family has now been forced to keep them out of sight because of their merciless neighbors who insist that his best friends cannot be classified as ‘pets.’

Yet young David believes that these two goats motivate him more than any other beings in his life.

"They don't really listen very well,' he said, "That's kind of like me.

And I think they know me better than anyone else.”

** The Pygmy goat originated in Africa and was imported to the U.S. in the 1950s.  As its name implies, it's much smaller than other goats, and most people keep these animals for show and fun and companionship instead of for meat or milk.

And some kids in 4-H, like David, love Pygmy goats because they are easy to raise and handle, and they are affectionate, lovable, and playful.

A full grown pygmy goat weighs from 40 to 70 pounds – the average weight of a large breed dog.  And they don’t even bark.