Goat Games help animal sanctuaries fund-raise in tough times

No matter who wins, every participant is the GOAT.

Opening ceremonies for third annual Goat Games take place Saturday at the Catskill Animal Sanctuary in Saugerties, where sanctuary founder Kathy Stevens will light the torch. That celebration formally kicks off four days of fund-raising for animal sanctuaries nationwide that have found themselves gobsmacked by the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely limited fund-raising at a time when grain, hay and medical costs are shooting through the roof.

And according to Stevens, with construction materials on the rise, building new structures has been cost-prohibitive.

That’s why organizations like hers need help from the public, whether that means visiting one of the 14 sanctuaries hosting various goat-related events or logging on virtually to participate. Stevens believes getting to know goats is a great way to spend a long summer weekend.

[ Photos: 2021 Running of the Goats in NYC ]

“I would say that among the 11 species we’ve rescued, they’re the most dog-like and they’re the most toddler-like,” Stevens told the Daily News. “Goats are forever in their terrible twos.”

Stevens said that “playful” goats are known to chew on visitors’ clothes, get into guests’ cars, break into kitchens and unlock gates. One time, according to Stevens, she was taking a pile of checks to deposit at her local bank when a goat in “the barn aisle” ate the stack right out of her hand while she was distracted.

“I had to call our donors and explain why they had to send another check,” she laughed.

Despite goats’ sometimes pushy nature, Stevens said they don’t bite or kick, so they don’t pose a threat to visitors.

The Goat Games, now in their third year, came to life early in the pandemic when visitation to animal sanctuaries came to a grinding halt. That made caring for not just goats, but all of the sanctuary’s residents, more challenging.

“We have hundreds of animals,” she said. “We have 35-year-old blind horses, we have cows that weigh 3,000 pounds, we’ve got 50 goats, we’ve got 20 cows — it’s the cumulative cost of caring well for all those animals that’s expensive.”

Stevens also understands that in times of economic uncertainty, people with families are less likely to donate money to animal-related causes. And If the aftermath of the 2008 housing crash is any indicator, she worries that potential donors may continue to spend conservatively until they’re sure the economy has steadied.

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COVID-19 isn’t helping matters either.

“On top of still dealing with a pandemic, which has forced us to shut down so many of our fund-raising events, this makes it especially difficult to care well for animals,” she said.

Events being hosted by Stevens’ venue on Saturday include a meet-and-greet with Sully, their four-legged “team captain,” sanctuary tours, live music and vegan dining.

Sanctuaries in towns including Watkins Glen, N.Y., Clinton, N.J., Caton, Calif., Arcadia, Fla., and Oxford, Iowa, will host simultaneous activities beginning Friday night and running through Monday. Animal lovers who can’t attend Goat Games in person are urged to participating online by committing themselves to an activity they enjoy, then finding sponsors to donate to a sanctuary of their choice.

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While this event’s name might imply goats will be pitted against one another in some fashion, the real competition is for people to raise as much financial support as possible for animals in need. As the event’s promotional materials say, participants are encouraged to run, swim, bike or “whatever floats their goat” to generate contributions during the course of the four-day fund-raiser. Stevens even recommends binge-watching Netflix for those who can figure out a way to monetize that activity.

New Yorkers who pay $25 per carload to visit Catskill Animal Sanctuary will find themselves roaming about 150 acres in the Hudson Valley, which is home to up to 400 occupants, consisting of nearly a dozen species of rescued farm animals.

As of Wednesday evening, nearly $67,000 had already been raised, with Stevens team accounting for roughly $23,000 of the donations collected. Goat Games hosts hope to raise $260,000 in 2023. That would be $43,000 more that the event brought-in last year.