Prosthetic hoof for goat a boon for 'Boonie'

Boonie wasn't quite sure how to react. At first, he just looked at the plastic contraption attached to his leg. And when he wanted to walk away he limped off on three legs. After all, it takes a while to adjust to a new prosthetic -- especially if you're a goat.The 3-year-old, white-and-brown animal received a plastic device recently that will substitute as his new hoof, almost three months after it was amputated. But Boonie needed a bit of coaxing to use it."Come on, Boonie," his owner, Marna Peterson of Edgewood, Wash., told him. "It's your new foot, Boonie!"After a few minutes, he began walking gingerly on the device and resting against it. And that had Peterson, who owns five goats, beaming.Boonie's stump -- the vets amputated just above his front right hoof -- fits into a brace and is secured with Velcro. At the bottom of the device is a plastic semicircle with rubber, tire-like tread.His veterinarian, Dr. Krystal Grant of Tahoma Veterinary Hospital, believes he is the third or fourth goat to receive a prosthetic leg.A rope and a taste for blackberries led to the loss of Boonie's leg July 3.He was tied to a pole outside Peterson's home while he roamed a bit and nibbled on the berries. He got his foot caught in the rope and wound it tighter as he tried to free himself."As strong as he is, he pulled and pulled and broke the bone right above the hoof," Peterson said. "The bone was sticking out the side of his leg about 3 inches."Boonie's owners saw his plight and cut the rope. They rushed him to the veterinary hospital."He didn't bawl, he didn't make a noise, he didn't fuss, he didn't complain," she said. "The only time he complained was when we put him in a big stall in the back. He just didn't want us to leave him."Most animals in that situation are euthanized, Grant said. But, she added, most goats Boonie's size are raised to become someone's meal. Boonie was Peterson's pet; she purchased him three years ago at the Puyallup Fair and named him after former Seattle Mariners second baseman Bret Boone.They scheduled an amputation.The next day, Peterson and her family members scoured the Web looking for options. A story about a goat found in New York's Central Park -- it had apparently fallen off a slaughter truck -- who received a prosthetic leg eventually led them to OrthoPets, a Denver-based company specializing in animal orthotic and prosthetic devices.Peterson filled out an online questionnaire and received a follow-up e-mail later in the day.She sent the information on to Boonie's veterinarian, who amputated the goat's foot that Monday. That same day, Peterson ordered the prosthetic, which was custom built to fit Boonie.Boonie's medical bill -- including surgery, antibiotics, follow-up appointments and the prosthetic -- has run about $2,500. Peterson was prepared to pay much more if necessary."I would've spent whatever it took," she said. "This little guy brings me so much joy. ... They're just friends. They're calm and so peaceful after you're at work all week. They're like kids to me."SEE BOONIETo see video of Boonie the goat trying out his new leg, see the Word on the Street blog at blogs.thenewstribune.com/street.(Contact Scott Fontaine at scott.fontaine@thenewstribune.com.)(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)