Meet Minnie the Sheep

12/5/2018

Last week you met Minnie, a sheep who evaded death several times before her arrival to our sanctuary. I promised to send you an update on how Minnie is doing after a week of integration with the rest of the sheep flock.

As you can see, Minnie is fitting in nicely…but it was no easy feat!

After running loose for weeks, Minnie was afraid of everyone and everything. When she was captured, it was not a pleasant experience – the man who caught her slammed her so hard to the ground, Minnie’s face was swollen for days.

When we introduced Minnie one-on-one to a couple of our friendlier, more welcoming sheep, things did not go quite so well. In fact, Minnie attempted to scale a fence and flee!

But we are, if anything, patient. We gave Minnie the space and time she needed to adjust. After a few days of slow introductions, Minnie decided to befriend Carmen. Once that happened, Minnie felt comfortable interacting with all the sheep. They are all now inseparable!

Thank you for supporting Minnie and her friends.

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If you don’t take this sheep now, I’m going to put a bullet in her head.

Hearing these words sent chills down my spine. And based on the man’s behavior, he meant it.

I ran outside to the decrepit SUV. He popped open the back door. I found myself looking at a small sheep, all four legs crudely taped together. The side of her was face swollen, from being slammed into the ground.

Right away, I knew she needed our help. We quickly cut off the tape and moved her to a calm barn where I offered her food and water. We named her Minnie, due to her small size.

Our veterinarian evaluated her and started her on pain and anti-inflammatory medications for her swollen face. We estimated her age at four years old, even though she looked like a baby. We suspect lack of proper care deprived Minnie of the nutrition she needed to thrive as a lamb.

Minnie was initially terrified. Her friends had been killed, and humans had never been kind. While she has not shown any interest in human connection, she calls to her neighbors – five calves rescued from a veal farm.

Next week, we are introducing Minnie to the sheep flock in the hopes that she will find comfort and emotional healing with her own species.

And while Minnie did not need intensive medical care, like some of our other animals, I relied exclusively on the Rescue Medical Fund – on your generosity – to get Minnie through those first few weeks.

Minnie is exactly who your donation to the Rescue Medical Fund is for – any individual who we can help.

I look forward to sharing with you how Minnie’s introductions go and show you how much your gift means to animals like Minnie and her friends.

With compassion,
Hanna Beins
Animal Care Director