Beautiful Lady Jessica (who was also named after a character from Dune, like Chani, Stilgar and Duncan Idaho) came to us from an animal control case in Michigan. We had been looking for a new friend for Clemmie for a while, and we’re very grateful we could help Lady Jessica find safety. She had a long road to get here, including a stop at Michigan State University to be spayed. While not normal protocol for sheep, this was a requirement for her to travel.Â
Lady Jessica was a Katahdin sheep, which is a meat-producing breed. She was a farmed animal agriculture survivor who was very fortunate to live in peace at a sanctuary. Sheep are generally shy by nature, which is very typical of prey animals–it’s part of their survival instinct. Lady Jessica, while she was shy, would eat treats out of the hands of her regular animal caregivers. She also helped Clemmie overcome some of her shyness, and she would come for treats, too! The girls pretty quickly became the best of friends and spent their days roaming the pasture together.
When animals come from sickly environments, like she did, the damage very often shortens their lifespan. We can get them as healthy as possible, but we can’t always provide a longer life. That was the case with Lady Jessica.
While we’re always sad to lose a resident, it was an honor to help Lady Jessica live a safe and comfortable last couple of years of her life as a Sanctuary Babe. She was loved, respected, and valued for the individual she was.