On 12th June 2024, staff at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary in High Falls, New York, US, were alerted to a sheep who had been running loose in a local neighbourhood for days, with thick, heavy wool still hanging off of him which posed a great risk considering the deadly heatwave the country was going through.
It turned out that he escaped a slaughterhouse and ran for days, and then he was caught by the USPCA, who held him in a neighbourhood yard so the sanctuary staff could come to get him. Staff, who named the sheep Walt after the poet who once wrote, “Resist much, obey little,” had to cut through tons of matted, dirty wool, and gave him fluids and ointment for his wounds.
On 21st June, the sanctuary posted the following on Instagram: “Walt is such a strong self-advocate. He liberated himself from a dangerous situation, and even now as he learns to trust the staff here, he still uses his body language to clearly show what he is and isn’t comfortable with. He’s been stamping angrily when staff come to take his temperature (understandable), but gladly accepting offerings like fresh grass from Caregiver Amy! Animals are often considered ‘voiceless’ but are often the strongest voices for themselves.”
A few days after the rescue, the sanctuary rescued another sheep who was named Waldo, and now both sheeps are enjoying their lives in safety at their new home. Staff said that even though both sheeps courageously escaped slaughter, Walt is an older, wise and confident sheep who had no problem approaching staff to see what they brought him, while Waldo is a baby with less life experience, and he is taking things more slowly. In another Instagram post, the sanctuary said that caregiver Madilyn spent time in Waldo’s isolation room, tossing him apricots and letting him know she was not dangerous, and that he was getting curious but it would take him time to fully adjust.
To support Woodstock Animal Sanctuary, visit: https://woodstocksanctuary.org/donate
