Lambert was raised by an Ohio woman as a 4H project. Part of the deal….sending Lambert to auction (and therefore slaughter) at the end of the project. It was something she’d done before; she and her husband are farmers who routinely sell their animals to slaughter, but Lambert “was different,” she said. She told us that Lambert seemed to have more of a personality than the other lambs, and for the first time, she was considering the ramifications of her actions. She could no longer proceed with business as usual.
When it came time for Lambert to go to auction, the woman’s friend purchased the lamb because she knew how attached to Lambert her friend had become. Desperate to find a safe place for Lambert, the search for a forever home began, and it ended with Catskill Animal Sanctuary.
The night the couple dropped off Lambert the woman was sobbing. Lambert cried out for her from his stall – he even jumped the stall door trying to get back to her. As we know so well at CAS, the bonds animals form with other humans and animals are profound; it was no surprise that Lambert had bonded to the woman who raised him. It was a heart-wrenching farewell, but it was also the beginning of a great chapter for this spared lamb.
Lambert was certainly distraught at first, but with lots of love from CAS staff, as well as members of our free-range gang, The Underfoot Family, he quickly settled in. He has joined our two other sheep, Lumpy and Hannah, who live in the barn, and is allowed to roam our 80 acres freely each day. He is an exceptionally affectionate and curious lamb who loves to say hello to visitors as well as other Sanctuary residents. He touches noses with some of the horses, and is patiently trying hard to befriend Lucy the cat!
We are glad that Lambert was spared, although he will forever bear some of the scars of being a domesticated sheep (most visibly his docked tail). We’re glad that Lamburt was spared, and we hope that the connection that his former “owner” felt with him will change her outlook on farm animals–and her practices. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time we’ve heard such a tale.
(Pssst, we know a secret…..each and every animal has a personality, each and every animal is an individual. Pigs, cows, horses, chickens, and yes, lambs…..each and every one of them has as much to offer to the world as little Lambert does. Come visit us and see for yourself.)
