07/26/2026
Joseph came to Gratitude Gate in March of 2018. He was just two years old and dubbed a seeing-eye llama for his blind friend, Jethro. Both of the llamas' mamas had been given a medication during their pregnancy that could cause serious birth defects or 💀. We had already taken two goats with neurologic defects caused by the same medication from this very same farm.
Jethro was born without sight; Joseph was born sickly and was hand-raised alongside his blind buddy. When the owner reached out, we didn't hesitate to come get them knowing their future was uncertain but that love was needed to fill the gap. Jethro and Joseph thrived together and even adopted Rammie as a fuzzy friend. They took on the rest of the herd like a bunch of punks. I usually had to separate them to keep chaos from erupting. Moments like these make it difficult to acknowledge that internally they will always harbor a lifelong battle caused by a single dose of medication. We were devastated when Jethro passed away 4 years ago due to complications with his condition. I worried deeply about Joseph not having another llama as a friend.
With Rammie at his side, he had dedicated his purpose to being a bodyguard for one. He became extremely judgmental toward anybody who thought they could approach his fuzzy ram without his consent.
Joseph was not the sweet and loveable guy that his blind buddy Jethro was. He wasn't to be bothered with child's play and being quick to turn and spit. He was always making faces and giving me a hard time rotating pastures or fussing with Rammie. Joseph was treated for a meningeal (brain) worm years ago in Pennsylvania that left his hind end movement compromised. It could have been much worse, but we caught it early enough to spare his life.
The past few summers in SC, I have worried so much about him in the heat. For weeks we have been in the 90s with unrelenting sun and humidity. Every day seems like an eternity keeping the kids safe and comfortable. Tuesday night, Joseph was in his stall as we finally expected some storms overnight. The amount of time I'm away from the kids is so small, but let me tell you that time doesn't care. Time made it so I wasn't there when he needed me most.
Joseph had rolled into a position that he could not right himself from. Marks on the ground showed where his awkward body had flailed repeatedly; his weak backend couldn't help, rendering him stuck upside-down. He had struggled to the point he was suffering from heat stroke and was aspirating. There literally was no time to call a vet. He was leaving, and all I could do was hold his head in my lap and sob a broken apology for being too late to give him a more dignified departure.
Please remember...Time doesn't wait for any of us.
I can only hope he knows that we loved him just the way he was, stinky face and all. I feel frozen in time, and my brain has blocked what I am supposed to feel right now.
You can't always make the story end the way you feel it should. If you think for a minute you have control over it all, life will show you otherwise.
If you are able or would like to help with his $300 burial expense we are so grateful as we lay our Joseph to rest.
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Venmo ❤️@ gratitudegate
