MOD ends experiments on goats in decompression chambers
inducing decompression sickness known as “The Bends”

Because of the decision to end these controversial tests Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats has been asked to take into care and to re-home as many as 28 goats. We are urgently looking for new Foster Homes for all of these goats, can you help?

We would prefer not to receive telephone calls.

If you would like to help by fostering one of the goats a printable application form may be obtained by clicking here.

If you cannot foster a goat but would like to help you can make a donation by sending a cheque to: Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats, MOD Foster Homes Appeal, Boughton Monchelsea, Maidstone, Kent, ME17 4JU. Please click on this link for a printable Donation form

On arrival, these will be housed separate and put under quarantine until re-homed by Buttercups under their “Foster Home “ scheme. All the goats will have received independent veterinary care and inspection before being handed over to the sanctuary. Once under the care of Buttercups they will continue to have every care and attention that the staff and volunteers are trained to provide.

We are looking for prospective homes for all of these goats. Their ages range from 18months to 8 years. The breeds are Saanan , Toggenburg and Anglo Nubian and are both male and female.

For logistical purposes we are looking for Foster Homes within the Kent and East Sussex area, but other homes at a greater distance may be considered.

Single goats will not be re-homed , unless integrated into a larger herd.

Please refer to the website for further information regarding Fostering.

We prefer prospective owners that have some knowledge of goat keeping , but this is not essential. “Goat Husbandry Workshops” are run throughout the year for those wishing to learn more about goat keeping. Vacancies are at present available on courses, Sunday 20th April and Sunday 11th, see website for details.

The Rt Hon Ann Widdecombe MP. For Maidstone and the Weald is Patron of the Sanctuary and has adopted Megan and Bruce. Ann is very enthusiastic about the work of the Sanctuary and calls to see her goats whenever it is possible to do so. She is also a great ambassador and supports us very generously from financial proceeds from her many talks.

Background on the MOD goats

Qinetiq has maintained a herd to support MOD research into critical safety aspects to help build a body of information to better understand how to improve survival chances for submariners escaping from a disabled submarine.
This required the goats to be subjected to pressurisation and de - pressurisation in a pressure chamber.
The MOD has now declared that live validation trials for this programme are no longer required and, consequently, Qintetiq is closing the facility and wishes to re - home 28 of the goats to Buttercups Sanctuary for Goats.
All the goats are healthy and regularly inspected by an independent vet. Some were not even used in any pressurisation trials, but those that were should not have suffered any long term effects and don’t exhibit any symptoms that would suggest that this position would alter.

Rob Dabrowski. Johnston Press plc. (opinions of the writer and not of the company)
“Controversial tests on goats for military research have stopped after a long campaign against experiments.
The Ministry of Defence as agreed to abandon the deep-diving tests in which goats are put into pressure compartments to produce levels of decompression sickness. The move comes after a group of scientists looked into whether the testing was still required at Qinetiq Laboratories and decided enough data had been collected and further tests would not be worthwhile.
All future research work will be carried out by computer simulation and by drawing on the results compiled since testing began at the laboratories in Gosport in 2001

The goats finally arrive at Buttercups after their long journey from Gosport and are met by some of the volunteers

(Above and below)The new arrivals head for the quarantine away from the main herd

At long last peace and tranquility