07/28/2026
It has taken me a little while to find the words to write this.
Losing an animal is one of the hardest parts of loving them. We sign up for the joy, the laughter, the funny moments, and the unconditional trust they give us… but we also sign up for the heartbreak that comes when it’s their time to leave us.
Many of you have asked what happened to Bullseye Gatorade, and now that we have answers, I wanted to share them..
Bullseye suddenly became critically ill, and despite doing everything we could—including immediate veterinary care—we lost him. Watching him take his last breath in my arms is something I will never forget.
His necropsy showed that Bullseye had lymphocytic myocarditis, an inflammation of the heart muscle. It’s a condition that often has very few, if any, warning signs before a catastrophic event occurs. We are still waiting on additional PCR testing to see if a virus may have played a role, but at least we now know why this happened.
As heartbreaking as it is, having an answer has brought me some peace. Sometimes we do everything right, stay on top of veterinary care, monitor temperatures, perform routine health checks, and still lose one we love. That’s one of the cruel realities of caring for animals.
Bullseye wasn’t just an alpaca here at Shady Rest—he was family.
He was the silly one who thought the grain bucket belonged to him and was first in line to greet guest. He made people laugh, accepted treats so gently, and reminded us every day that happiness can be found in the simplest moments. He had one of the softest noses and the most beautiful blue eyes.
Thank you to everyone who has reached out, prayed for us, sent messages, or simply thought about our little farm. Your kindness has meant more than you’ll ever know.
We’ll miss you every single day, sweet Bullseye.
Run free, handsome boy. ❤️🦙
