On 26th June 2023, the Loving Farm Animal Sanctuary (LFAS) in Paso Robles, California, shared an update on their Instagram about their successful rescue of a lamb they named Kismet from the Future Farmers of America (FFA) Program. The FFA Program raises animals for county fairs, where they would eventually be sold for slaughter. However, no teenagers had reached out to LFAS this year, unlike in previous years. LFAS had been searching for a lamb to save in honour of their recently departed sheep, Hope.
A Good Samaritan named Alyson contacted the sanctuary after seeing a lamb for sale by an FFA student. Alyson couldn’t bear the thought of the lamb being sold for parts, so she pay money to save him. Since Alyson didn’t have enough space to keep the lamb, she reached out to LFAS after seeing their social media posts. Finally, on the 27th of June, Kismet arrived at LFAS. The sanctuary staff and their veterinarian welcomed him and immediately removed the ear tags that labelled him as property. Kismet was now an individual, free from the fate of being a numbered commodity.
The vet assessed Kismet’s health, established a vaccination program, and recommended a healthier feeding regimen. LFAS wished they could have rescued one of Kismet’s fellow four-legged friends from the FFA facility to provide him with a snuggle buddy during quarantine and save another life. Unfortunately — but not surprisingly as they were being trained to exploit animals for money — none of the other FFA students were willing to let their animals go to a sanctuary for safety.
In the days that followed, Kismet began to settle in and grow braver. He explored the large paddocks of LFAS, although he still felt a bit apprehensive about being too far from the barn. Lydia, one of the dedicated animal caregivers, accompanied Kismet during his adventures, earning his trust and providing him with comfort and support.
