Although Tonka lives twenty miles up the road at a boarding stable, he is a part of our animal family. Tonka is a registered American Paint Horse and hails from Texas. He was foaled on February 11, 2006. Tonka was owned by a gentle trainer who taught him to be a sane trail horse. I purchased him in December 2013. Tonka and I do dressage and take long treks in the woods. For more about horses, see my other website The Cooperative Horse.

Phoebe is a mixed breed rabbit born sometime in April, 2012. She was adopted from an animal shelter where she had very good care and had been spayed. Phoebe is friendly and playful.

The Beast arrived at Little Pond Farm in 2003 when she was a little fish, no longer than two inches. She looked pretty – all white, with a big black spot on the top of her head. But as this koi grew, the spot didn’t, and now she is a pale peachy color. The Beast lives year-round in the water feature that we call a “pond.” There’s a big rock, with a fish cave under it, where this huge, savvy old fish stays safe from Great Blue Herons, and hibernates in the winter. Smaller goldfish, and goldfish/koi mixes keep her company.

Both of these dogs came from rescue organizations. According to DNA tests, Lily is Collie, Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Dalmatian and Husky. She’s unique! She’s smart and has a high prey drive. She’s a good farm dog – she chases hawks out of the sky and keeps raccoons away. She was born sometime in April, 2003.

Scooter’s mom was a mixed-breed stray. DNA testing tells us that he has a lot of Chihuahua and Shih Tzu in him, too. Scooter’s job is to be a pest to Lily to keep her busy (he gets her to play by biting her toes). They are our comedy duo. Scooter was born January 8, 2007.

Pip and Caper are twin brothers, born on April 26, 2009 at Village Haven Farm in Maine. They are purebred Nigerian Dwarf Dairy Goats. Pip and Caper are pets. They’re gelded males, and their only job is to delight and amuse – which they do very well! They also help to keep the back meadow free of briars and poison ivy.

Caper is the goat with the darker splotches. He is the talkative, loud boy, and the smarter of the two. Pip has the caramel-colored markings, appears to be always smiling, and is the domineering one (you’ll see him butt Caper away from the food.)