The resilience of Dwarf goats to environmental stress: A review

•An update of integrative facts of potential impact of heat stress associated with global climate change on domestic animals reviewed.•The unique adaptive traits of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats responsible for their resilience to potential impact of heat stress accentuated.•The morphological, physiological, behavioral and genetic traits that could be used to track the basic mechanisms of resilience stressed.•Further research into improved knowledge of these mechanisms and appropriate measures to ensure protein food security underlined. Goat plays a vital role in the rural village economy and are critical for food security and livelihood. The contributions of goats to the economy of millions of rural people notwithstanding are hindered by severe heat stress due to the global climate change. Prediction of climate change impact indicate that heat stress is the overriding factor influencing native habitats of different species of domestic animals and is an important determinant for either survival of each species in its current state with consequent decline in performance or in more severe conditions, species extinction. However, West African Dwarf (WAD) goats surpass other ruminants and have optimally adapted to harsh environmental conditions because of their unique adaptive traits. The goats can adapt to heat stress through a combination of morphological, behavioral, physiological and genetic traits. This review paper therefore, provides an update of integrative facts of potential impact of global climate change, and unique adaptive traits of WAD goats responsible for their resilience to environmental stress. The elucidation of the mechanisms involve in WAD goats’ adaptation may facilitate adoption of comprehensive control measures to ameliorate the impact of environmental stress in domestic animals.