Baby goat found wandering loose in Walmart parking lot

July 20 (UPI) -- A dwarf fainting goat found running loose in the parking lot of a Walmart store in New Jersey appeared to have been marked for slaughter, rescuers said.

The Barnyard Sanctuary in Columbia said Secaucus Animal Control Officer Kevin Kessler responded to the Walmart Supercenter in Secaucus on Thursday morning on a report of a goat running loose.

"There were several individuals on hand who offered to take this baby to eat him! Luckily, Kevin caught him in time and brought him to @barnyardsanctuary," the sanctuary said in a Facebook post.

The intact male dwarf fainting goat, a breed famed for collapsing when startled, was estimated to be about 3-4 months old. Rescuers said the goat's ear was tagged, indicating it was marked for slaughter before it escaped or was abandoned.

The rescuers said the goat was found to be suffering from a contagious mouth disease called Orf.

The sanctuary is now accepting donations to help with medical treatment for the baby goat, dubbed Wally in honor of where it was found.

Investigators said they don't know whether Wally escaped from its previous owners or was abandoned due to its ailment.

"It is unknown how the animal got there," Secaucus police public information officer Capt. Dennis Miller told Patch.