02/21/2026
I can hardly believe that I have such sad news to share again so soon. Last night, Tanzy had what appeared to be a heart attack and passed away. Jim was out doing barn chores, and Tanzy was in the middle of his dinner meal when he collapsed suddenly. I was able to get to the barn just in time for him to pass away in our arms. I am comforted by the fact that it was so quick. It’s always a concern that something happens to an animal in the barn overnight and we are unaware, but it means a lot to know that he didn’t suffer. I’m also comforted to share that he had a good last day, enjoying carrots from two visiting families, and sitting outside in grass after many days of being confined close to the barn due to ice.
Tanzy turned 19 last year … he had lived with us for 9 years, coming to us from a farm whose owners needed to give up their alpacas due to health issues (not rescued, just a rehoming). Tanzy was truly one of the sweetest alpacas we have ever had, an absolute gentleman. For many of you, he was the first alpaca you met, and one of the few that freely allowed petting (though a carrot treat was always appreciated!). He had a funny habit of carrying stiff pieces of hay or straw around in his mouth … it seemed like he was always either with one, or searching the ground for one. If you came for the Holiday Photoshoots, Tanzy was the kind fellow who allowed himself to have a photo taken in reindeer antlers (no one else would stand for that!). About five months ago, Tanzy was diagnosed with diabetes. Since then, he bravely accepted insulin shots twice per day. He never put up a fuss and even came in for his shot every morning when we called him (of course, it helped that he had an “appetizer” to enjoy with it). So many fun and special memories of our good, good boy. When Tanzy came to us, he came with a buddy named Tiger who was blind. Their friendship was certainly special. Tiger passed away years ago, but I hope that Tanzy has found him by now and that they are grazing together in green pastures. 🌈 🦙 ❤️
This has been a very difficult past few months for us, as we have lost three of our herd members, and we are now down to nine alpacas. As many of you know, we are “on the road to retirement,” so we do not plan on adding to the herd. We are all just growing old together. The smaller number of alpacas means that we will have challenges with tours, which we are trying to work out going forward. We hope to continue as long as we are able to deliver an experience that meets or hopefully exceeds expectations.
Thank you for reading this lengthy post … mostly about sweet Tanzy. How we miss him so much already … 💔
