Post by Die Fledermaus on Jan 23, 2013 16:00:16 GMT -4
Polly and Dolly's story
Photos on the link.
>>
Polly and Dolly: Inseparable Sheep Have Each Other, and Now the Good Life Too
When the staff of a Future Farmers of America (FFA) farm in Santa Clara, California, came to work one morning this fall, they found two sheep awaiting them. The sight of the pair would not normally have been a surprise, but these sheep had not been there the night before. The elderly ewes were dumped! Like many animals in such situations, they easily could have ended up at auction and then the slaughterhouse, but a call to Farm Sanctuary brought the two, now named Polly and Dolly, to our Northern California Shelter instead.
The details of the sheep’s origin were never discovered, but their bodies tell an all too common story of exploitation and neglect. The older of the two, Polly, arrived thin, frail, and completely toothless. She clearly had been used for years as a breeding ewe, her health depleted as she gave birth to lamb after lamb only to have each one taken from her in its infancy. For ewes in the food production system, the cycle of pregnancy begins at six months of age and continues relentlessly for about 10 years, ending only when the exhausted sheep, no longer able to produce, are slaughtered for dog food or rendering.
Sheep are devoted mothers and friends. They co-raise their young in close-knit family groups and forge lifelong bonds with their sons and daughters. For breeding ewes like Polly, who are unable to fulfill this core need, life is a bleak affair. And, beyond this ordeal, Polly also experienced acute neglect. She and Dolly had severely overgrown hooves, and one of Polly’s legs showed an old fracture that had not been set and was painfully left to heal on its own.
There’s no going back to heal that bone properly or to return the many lambs Polly never had the chance to raise and love. But amidst these scars, her past has granted her one consoling gift: Dolly, who we believe is Polly’s daughter by blood — and who certainly is her daughter by mutual attachment. Dolly is devoted to Polly and loathes to be separated from her for an instant.
Clearly strangers to kind treatment from humans, both sheep were nervous when they reached the shelter and shied away from the caregivers who approached to help them out of the truck. Dolly cast aside her wariness, though, when Polly was carried down the ramp. She ran to her mother, choosing to face the unknown rather than be left behind without her. The next day, when caregivers haltered Polly to trim her hooves, Dolly once again overcame her caution and rushed over to press herself as close to Polly as she could. Polly has proved to be much braver, presenting a strong front for them both as Dolly does her best to hide beside her.
With time and gentle attention, we know they will both learn to feel safe here and trust their caregivers. Once they receive a clean bill of health, both will join our other sheep and experience the familial bond of flock life, a crucial source of comfort and fulfillment for all sheep. In the meantime, we are working to make the pair as healthy, strong, cozy, and well-fed as possible. Polly and Dolly love each other tremendously. After the hardships they have weathered together, we’re looking forward to giving them a life they can love just as much.<<
Photos on the link.
>>
Polly and Dolly: Inseparable Sheep Have Each Other, and Now the Good Life Too
When the staff of a Future Farmers of America (FFA) farm in Santa Clara, California, came to work one morning this fall, they found two sheep awaiting them. The sight of the pair would not normally have been a surprise, but these sheep had not been there the night before. The elderly ewes were dumped! Like many animals in such situations, they easily could have ended up at auction and then the slaughterhouse, but a call to Farm Sanctuary brought the two, now named Polly and Dolly, to our Northern California Shelter instead.
The details of the sheep’s origin were never discovered, but their bodies tell an all too common story of exploitation and neglect. The older of the two, Polly, arrived thin, frail, and completely toothless. She clearly had been used for years as a breeding ewe, her health depleted as she gave birth to lamb after lamb only to have each one taken from her in its infancy. For ewes in the food production system, the cycle of pregnancy begins at six months of age and continues relentlessly for about 10 years, ending only when the exhausted sheep, no longer able to produce, are slaughtered for dog food or rendering.
Sheep are devoted mothers and friends. They co-raise their young in close-knit family groups and forge lifelong bonds with their sons and daughters. For breeding ewes like Polly, who are unable to fulfill this core need, life is a bleak affair. And, beyond this ordeal, Polly also experienced acute neglect. She and Dolly had severely overgrown hooves, and one of Polly’s legs showed an old fracture that had not been set and was painfully left to heal on its own.
There’s no going back to heal that bone properly or to return the many lambs Polly never had the chance to raise and love. But amidst these scars, her past has granted her one consoling gift: Dolly, who we believe is Polly’s daughter by blood — and who certainly is her daughter by mutual attachment. Dolly is devoted to Polly and loathes to be separated from her for an instant.
Clearly strangers to kind treatment from humans, both sheep were nervous when they reached the shelter and shied away from the caregivers who approached to help them out of the truck. Dolly cast aside her wariness, though, when Polly was carried down the ramp. She ran to her mother, choosing to face the unknown rather than be left behind without her. The next day, when caregivers haltered Polly to trim her hooves, Dolly once again overcame her caution and rushed over to press herself as close to Polly as she could. Polly has proved to be much braver, presenting a strong front for them both as Dolly does her best to hide beside her.
With time and gentle attention, we know they will both learn to feel safe here and trust their caregivers. Once they receive a clean bill of health, both will join our other sheep and experience the familial bond of flock life, a crucial source of comfort and fulfillment for all sheep. In the meantime, we are working to make the pair as healthy, strong, cozy, and well-fed as possible. Polly and Dolly love each other tremendously. After the hardships they have weathered together, we’re looking forward to giving them a life they can love just as much.<<
