Billy aka Billy Gotti, the goat responsible for many laughs on the internet via Instagram and Facebook Live, has died.
His owner and "mom," Jo'Lee Shine, announced his death on Instagram Live Monday morning. The cause of his death remains unclear at this time.
In a tearful Instagram Live session, Shine sobbed as she held Billy the goat one more time. Throughout her cries, she questions why Billy's life wasn't spared, as he seemingly died in his sleep. Despite the intense emotion, she allowed one of her followers to join the session, and he offered some kind words to Shine and the memory of Billy.
"You adopted Billy when no one else would take care of him," the follower said. "When no one else wanted him because they felt he looked funny, and you took him in. It was at a time period when you were going through a lot of pain because of your brother. That goat, he not only healed you. He healed a lot of people."
"You gave that goat the opportunity for the whole world to see it. When no one else wanted him, you were there. I want you to know that you touched so many people. You touched a lot of lives and you're not done touching lives. He was your breakthrough," he continued.
Following the end of the livestream, many of the goat's 200,000 followers offered their condolences after learning the tragic news.
"Oh My God, I hope everyone can wrap you up in prayer," one user wrote to Shine in light of her adopted "son's" passing. "I think you may need a vet to come check out everything because you already had trifling neighbors before. Grieve him and please try to get Therapy to help with all that you've been through."
"nooooooooo i’m so sorry billy was such a light to all of us on here, we love you," another person wrote, along with a few crying emojis.
According to a 2020 interview with AOL, Shine
said she adopted Billy when he was just 2 days old. While his face wasn't something she anticipated, she says she took him in regardless and they quickly became attached at the hip. She began to treat him as if he were her own child, calling him "son," dressing him up and taking him out on trips throughout the town with her.
