The management at Cattleman’s Steakhouse in Fabens is responding to concerns on social media regarding the birth and death of a baby goat.
A concerned citizen posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page that visitors to the petting zoo at the steakhouse on Sunday, June 7, were upset to see a goat struggling to deliver a baby goat. The mother goat had already delivered three other goats. Multiple births of four are unusual and are high risk according to Cattleman’s management.
The citizen wrote that her son jumped over the fence when they deemed the staff was unresponsive and tried to help the baby goat by removing the sac from its face to help it breathe. Unfortunately, the goat did not make it.
“First and foremost, we sincerely apologize to any guests who were distressed by what they witnessed,” began a statement from Cattleman’s on its Facebook page. “We understand that seeing an animal in a difficult situation can be emotional and upsetting, especially for families and children.”
Management stated that goat births tend to happen naturally at their zoo, but that four births from one goat is unusual. In fact, they had never experienced that before.
“Our staff was made aware that one of our goats was giving birth,” the statement said. “In most cases, goat births occur naturally without human intervention, and unnecessary interference can sometimes create additional stress and complications for both a mother and her offspring. Based on our experience, the vast majority of births proceed safely on their own. Unfortunately, this particular birth was highly unusual.”
The statement continued, “Multiple births of this size carry significantly higher risks, and despite our team’s efforts to monitor the situation, the outcome was not what anyone hoped for. We have carefully reviewed the concerns raised regarding response times and communication during the incident. While our team was following standard animal care practices, we recognized that some guests felt their concerns were not addressed quickly enough.”
Management said they take feedback seriously and will be reviewing their procedures to improve communication and response times.
“Moving forward, the health and welfare of our animals remain our highest priority,” the statement read. “We care deeply for every animal in our facility and appreciate the passion and concern shown by members of our community.
“We are committing to learning from this experience and continuing to provide the highest standard of care for our animals.”
María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150; mcortes@elpasotimes.com; @eptmaria.bsky.social on Bluesky, and @eptmariacg on TikTok.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Cattleman’s Steakhouse responds after goat dies at petting zoo
Reporting by Maria Cortes Gonzalez, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Maria Cortes Gonzalez, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
