Today we’d like to introduce you to Maddie Lowe.
Hi Maddie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The Doting Goat started in 2023, when I had an unexpected opportunity to combine two of my greatest life passions: animals and people. But to understand the full story, we must go back to where it really began.
I am currently a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and have built my career around helping children, teens, adults, and families. That foundation became a central part of what would later shape The Doting Goat.
It all started with a love for agriculture and livestock, particularly goats. I have loved goats for as long as I can remember. In high school, I joined my school’s FFA chapter, which had a large agricultural program, and I quickly became immersed in horses, goats, and farm life. Like many kids who love animals, my childhood dream was to become a veterinarian. As I grew up, that dream evolved to become a large animal or equine veterinarian.
In 2014, I attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville with the intention of later attending veterinary school. At the same time, I knew math and science were not my strongest areas, so I made a backup plan to become a mental health counselor. Mental health had already been part of my life through my own healing journey with OCD and grief as a teenager. I found myself naturally drawn to understanding people and emotions. But even then, I was determined to make my childhood career dream come true.
During my freshman year of college, I attended a presentation where a professional counselor spoke about equine-assisted psychotherapy (EAP). That moment planted a seed that everything would change everything for me. For the first time, I saw a path that combined my passion for mental health with my love of animals. I kept that idea in the back of my mind as my education continued. The summer after my sophomore year, I participated in EAP as a client myself and found it deeply healing.
I eventually graduated from UNC Asheville with a bachelor’s degree in general psychology and moved to Charleston in 2019 to attend Charleston Southern University, where I earned my master’s degree in clinical counseling. While in graduate school, I began volunteering at Lowcountry Equine Assisted Psychotherapy (LEAP) on Wadmalaw Island. In 2022, I became formally trained in EAP through EAGALA and joined the clinical team at LEAP, where I worked through 2025, while also building my own private practice, Rising Tides Psychotherapy, in West Ashley.
My time working in EAP showed me how powerfully individuals, particularly children and teens, respond to experiential and existential approaches. At the same time, my love for goats never faded. Horses are strong, wise, and emotionally intuitive, while goats are playful, curious, affectionate, and tend to never really “grow up. They invite connection without intimidation and allow people to soften quickly.
In late 2023, I had the opportunity to acquire two goats, and my friend had the land. We began discussing the slow creation of a goat-centered program focused on mindfulness, connection, and simply being. But as most goat owners know, two goats quickly turned into three, then eight, then sixteen when I impulsively decided I was equipped to become a goat “breeder.” What began as hobby farming gradually became something I wanted to share, as I saw how naturally people connected with the goats.
As The Doting Goat continued to grow, life began to move quickly. In May of 2024, my now-husband, Billy, and I got engaged, and I threw myself into wedding planning. The Doting Goat endeavors were mostly put to the side, well, except for my dream of wanting baby wedding goats. So, in January of 2025, we welcomed ten new kids into the world. Do not underestimate goats. I truly thought we would have no more than six.
In March of 2025, Billy and I also decided to move the goats to a new property to create more space for the herd and allow the vision to keep expanding. That season brought equal parts joy and chaos, as growth in both life and business happened all at once.
In May of 2025, Billy and I were married, with our two “ring goats,” Meredith and Bucky, in attendance. As we began a new chapter of our lives together, a new chapter for The Doting Goat was also emerging. With the wedding behind us, more space to grow, and a herd we intentionally downsized to our “core seven,” we finally had the time and capacity to begin building the “goat business” I had been talking about for so long.
Today, The Doting Goat continues to evolve. It blends therapeutic intention with lighthearted, meaningful experiences, offering people space to slow down, connect, and simply be. At its core, The Doting Goat reflects how life changes, how growth often comes with a little mess, and how our passions tend to reveal themselves as blueprints for the lives we are meant to build.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Has it been a smooth road? Not even close.
The Doting Goat came together through a lot of trial and error, learning in real time, and figuring things out as I went. There were seasons where I felt confident and excited, and others where I questioned whether I was doing too much, moving too fast, or trying to build something that didn’t quite fit into a traditional box.
One of the biggest struggles has been balancing ambition with capacity. I was building a private practice, working in equine-assisted psychotherapy, planning a wedding, moving goats, and at one point welcoming ten goat babies at the same time. It was exciting, but it was also exhausting. There were moments where the vision felt clear and moments where it felt overwhelming and messy.
Another challenge has been trusting myself. The Doting Goat doesn’t fit neatly into a single category. It’s not traditional therapy, but it’s deeply informed by it. It’s not just a farm, and it’s not just a business. Learning to sit with that ambiguity, and to trust that it still has value, has been an ongoing process.
There have also been very real logistical challenges: space, timing, finances, weather, animal care, and the constant reality that working with animals means things rarely go exactly as planned. Goats, in particular, are excellent at reminding you that control is an illusion.
That said, the struggles have shaped the work just as much as the successes. Each challenge forced me to slow down, re-evaluate, and build something that actually felt sustainable and honest. The road hasn’t been smooth, but it’s been meaningful, and I wouldn’t trade the learning that came with it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Doting Goat LLC?
The name of my business is The Doting Goat.
The Doting Goat is something that grew naturally out of my life rather than a carefully planned business idea. It sits at the intersection of my work as a licensed professional counselor, my background in experiential and animal-assisted work, and my lifelong love of agriculture and goats. It exists because I kept noticing how people changed when they were around the goats—how they slowed down, laughed more, softened, and felt more present without trying.
What I do through The Doting Goat is create intentional space for people to spend time with goats and the land in a way that feels grounding and real. Some experiences are small group gatherings, some are private visits, and some are community-based events. They aren’t therapy sessions, but they are deeply informed by my clinical background. There’s no pressure to talk, process, or perform. People show up, interact with the goats, and let the experience be whatever it is.
What sets The Doting Goat apart is that it doesn’t try to fit neatly into a category. It’s not therapy, it’s not just a farm, and it’s not meant to be flashy or curated. It’s simple on purpose. The goats are expressive, curious, affectionate, and honest, and they tend to bring people into the moment, whether they plan to be there or not.
What I’m most proud of is that The Doting Goat reflects real life. It’s grown slowly, sometimes messily, and always with care for both people and animals. The brand isn’t about perfection or spectacle. It’s about creating space to slow down, connect, and just be—and trusting that something meaningful often happens when we allow that.
How do you think about happiness?
Happiness, for me, usually shows up in small, ordinary moments rather than big achievements.
A lot of that happiness comes from my goats, because each one brings something different into my life and keeps me grounded in ways I didn’t expect. Betty grounds me. She’s steady and maternal, and being around her reminds me to slow down and focus on what actually matters. Wilma makes me laugh in a quiet, unexpected way. She’s awkward and observant, and she reminds me that there’s value in just existing without trying to be impressive.
Rebel keeps me humble. He’s independent, opinionated, and completely uninterested in my plans, which is probably good for me. BG challenges me. She’s bold, intense, and demanding, and she pushes me to set boundaries and stay present even when things feel chaotic. Aurora brings softness and beauty into the mix. She’s gentle and observant, and being near her feels calming in a way that’s hard to explain.
Meredith gives affection freely and has a way of making people feel safe and seen, which mirrors the kind of connection I value most. And Bucky is pure joy. He’s curious, affectionate, and always shows up exactly as himself, which is a daily reminder that happiness doesn’t have to be complicated.
Beyond the goats, happiness looks like being outside, feeling present, and doing work that feels meaningful without being forced. It looks like growth that’s a little messy, laughter that comes easily, and moments where I feel at home in the life I’m building. Being with the goats pulls me out of my head and into the moment, and that kind of presence is what makes me happiest.
Pricing:
- Dote & Goat private visits: $45
- Goat & Gather on-site group visits: $75
- Goat Gram deliveries: starting at $75
- Additional services include seasonal events, community gatherings, educational experiences, and custom group visits
- Pricing may vary depending on group size, location, and level of customization
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thedotinggoat.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.doting.goat/?igsh=cnhnYmdnYmdsaTZj&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/The-Doting-Goat-61578815954058/
- Other: https://thedotinggoat.setmore.com/
