Rissiepit

aka Riss/Rissie

Little Rissie

🌶️ Meet Rissiepit (Our Little "Spitfire")

Some rescues arrive with a flourish; Rissiepit arrived on borrowed time.

She came to us alongside Aimee, but her condition was even more critical.

A tiny Dwarf goat with no flesh on her bones and a FAMACHA score so dangerously low it was hard to imagine how she was still standing. But standing she was—because behind those terrified eyes lurked a "Rissiepit" (a little chili seed): small, but remarkably tough.

The Fight of a Lifetime

With a score that low, most goats lose their appetite and their will to fight. But we weren't about to let her go. Rissie became the VIP of the sanctuary kitchen. We tempted her with every gourmet leaf, fruit, and vegetable imaginable, layering in supplements, herbal boosters, and specialized medications.

Because of the intensity of her treatment, Rissie had to learn to tolerate human touch much faster than she would have liked. It wasn't a choice; it was a life-saving necessity.

A Different Kind of Journey

Rissie has been with us for nearly 10 months now, and her path hasn't been a straight line. Her health follows an erratic profile—better, then worse, then better again. In the world of South African rescue, we often see this with goats who had such a traumatic start to life; their immune systems are vulnerable, and their "flourishing" time takes a lot longer to arrive.

But we are ferocious about her care. We are reading, learning, and consulting with professionals constantly. We are trying everything in the book—and writing a few new chapters ourselves—to get her to a place of stability.

A Soul Worth Saving

Why do we do it? Because Rissie is a "spitfire" who refuses to give up. She inspires us to be better problem-solvers and more compassionate healers. She isn’t just a "case" to us; she is a deeply loved member of the Besida family.

Rissiepit is a reminder that every soul is worth the effort, and as long as she’s fighting, we’re right there in the trenches with her.

She is a soul worth trying for, a soul worth saving, and quite simply, she is deeply loved.

RIP dear little one

It is a world of pain to lose a sentient being who has fought so hard to stay.

On Thursday 05/02/2026, we said goodbye to Rissiepit. To many, a goat is just an animal with a price tag. But to those of us who sat in the trenches with her, she was a person in a small, furry body.

Rissie had a traumatic start to life that her little body eventually couldn't overcome, despite every medical effort we threw at her recovery. But in those months, she discovered what it meant to be safe. She learned that humans could be healers. She grew comfortable enough to be cheeky—climbing on tables and showing us that "spitfire" personality that gave her her name.

We want people to understand: this loss is like losing a beloved dog. Her life had value. Her pain was real, and so was her joy.

She was seen.

She was known.

She was loved.

And now, she is missed beyond words.

Run free, Rissie. No more treatments, no more struggles. Just green pastures.