A sad day.....

I try not to write sad things here, because in general, our life is so happy. However, there are difficult decisions we are often forced to make--that never get easier. It is all fun to rescue the animals and successfully help them to be happy & healthy. Even if we have them for a short while, to achieve some comfort, love, warmth and hugs in their lives is very rewarding. The flip side is the heartbreak of letting to let them go when the time comes-as I am sure you each have also experience at some time in your life too. Today we have to let our Kelly sheep go and I am just beyond sad. If this ever gets 'easy' for me, it will be time to step out of rescue, and I don't see that ever happening, so we step forward and try to keep our memories close. Kelly deserves her story told so here goes!
Kelly arrived through a larger rescue in Pittsburgh, PA some years ago, along with 11 other members of her family. They had not been handled much at all before they arrived but they settled in well and are all now happy sheep, most very friendly. Kelly is one that we have no idea how old she is, sometime earlier in her life way long ago, some 'wonderful' person abused her and broke her hip. THEN, they just left her that way and her hip healed very crookedly-there truthfully is not much to do for a broken hip except hope they heal, but there are medicines to help the pain-which she never received. It amazes me that she even remotely trusts us. She likes to eat her corn twice a day from the scoop, but don't toucha the sheep. She has the most beautiful brown, very wise old soul eyes and a soft wrinkly nose--she is a Merino/Icelandic cross sheep, and needless to say, a beautiful fleece every year....

Since Kelly had to stay in a special pasture and barn, and eat special supplements because of her hip, her love in life is to keep our bottle lambs company while they grew up. She has raised many many over the years to be good sheep (while I fight to keep them pets--hee hee). Her love for them, even though not her own, was her gift to each lamb that stayed with her. I would go out to feed her supper, and give lambs bottles, to find her watching 'guard' over her babies, all sleeping in a pile behind her in a corner--I swear they snore--looking at me as if to say, ok, you HAVE to do that so hurry up and get OUT! Kelly always preferred I did not interrupt her babies naps, specially if there were more than two at a time!

Recently we rescued a sad lonely sheep during a larger llama rescue effort with our friend Jen. Bella Mia has some major issues and had joined Kelly in her suite. Those sheep have been SO close it was just a blessing for Kelly to have her as a best friend. They sleep with their heads over each others backs and Bella is very protective of her friend. She even stands up (which is painful for Bella) and stamps her foot to be sure we know not to pester HER Kelly. Bella will be sad today too, but I am hoping that she will take solace in the one bottle lamb that they have been taking care of together--and me. They love Sprinkles so much and I am sure he will miss Kelly too.

SO, I am sorry to start the morning with such a sad story, but if I write it later, tears and grief will be too much. Kelly deserved a better start to her life, we were lucky to have her as long as we did I know, but I always want them here longer-even though I know that is selfish on my part. After today, Kelly will be free to run, free of pain and fear. Something we could not quite accomplish for her here on earth. Sleep well my sweet Kelly girl, until we meet again.....