Colvin is one of the lucky few animals who has known only love, safety, and compassion his entire life. He was born at Farm Sanctuary’s Northern California Shelter following the rescue of his mother, Wendy.
Colvin enjoying a beautiful day in the pasture. (Photo by Dakota Gale.)
Extreme Colvin closeup! (Photo by Annika Heilman.)
Never far from the action! (Photo by Claude Roy.)
Psst, Colvin, you’ve got a little something stuck in your hair. (Photo by Moniek Van Geem.)
Colvin stretching for some tasty leaves
Colvin at the front of the flock with the rest of his sheeple!
Wendy after her arrival at Farm Sanctuary.
Wendy had been saved by an animal control officer after running loose and falling into a drainage ditch near Sacramento. She was rushed to a veterinary hospital, where she received lifesaving care. She was too weak even to stand when she arrived at the hospital, so when it was discovered that she was pregnant and close to giving birth, her situation became even more critical. Fortunately, during a visit to the same veterinary hospital, we heard about Wendy’s plight. When we learned that she did not have any permanent placement, we were able to offer her a home at Farm Sanctuary.
Just days after coming to the Northern California Shelter, Wendy gave birth to two beautiful boys. Colvin was the first lamb born, and from the very beginning he was (and still is) a very boisterous and strong boy. His brother Ady, who was born second, had many health issues and had to be transported to a veterinary hospital because his lungs were not fully developed. Luckily, though, he was able to overcome the odds, and was soon back at the shelter. Wendy was still very weak from her ordeal, so both Colvin and Ady needed supplemental bottle-feedings from their caregivers in addition to nursing from their mom.
It took Ady more time to recover, and he didn’t have as much energy as his brother
— but soon he had recovered enough that Colvin could begin teaching him the ways of the lamb.
Like all babies, Colvin and Ady grew up far too fast. Soon, along with their mom, they were ready to be introduced to some of the other sheep at the sanctuary.
This special little family spent wonderful, happy years together at Farm Sanctuary, but unfortunately, in December 2013, Wendy developed severe mobility issues and also had a cancerous mass in her udder, and we had to make the difficult decision to let her go peacefully through euthanasia. Ady and Colvin leaned on each other for support, and though it was obvious that they felt their mother’s loss, they pulled through their grief together.
Beautiful Ady.
Throughout his life, Ady had dealt with health issues, requiring multiple emergency surgeries for hernias and blockages when stones would become lodged in his urethra. But that made it no less shocking when we came into the barn one morning to discover that Ady had passed away overnight. We were shocked and devastated, but our sense of loss could not compare to the loss that Colvin felt.
It was during this time that he became even closer with the shelter staff, as well as the other sheep in the flock.
Colvin with his friend Trudy.
While Colvin has felt the loss of his immediate family members deeply, he has taken comfort and solice in the rest of his “sheeple” and “humanimal” families. Colvin has experienced more loss than is fair, and while we can never bring his mom and brother back, we can give him every ounce of love, affection, and care we have to ensure that he never feels alone.
Colvin’s beautiful profile. (Photo by Annika Heilman.)
Colvin has become a leader in the flock over the past few years, and is now always at the front of anything that takes place in the flock. Whether it be time for meds in the mornings, putting down fresh new hay in the feeders, introducing a new sheep, or just coming in to give everyone some love, he is always there.
Colvin with his sheeple.
In the winter months, when there is grass at the shelter, he leads the way out into the pasture each day, finding the yummiest spots to graze on throughout the day.
Colvin with human buddy Claude Roy, a former shelter intern.
Colvin has never been one to shy away from attention from his humanimal friends, and has even come to insist upon it whenever a human pal stops by..
Colvin does not appreciate it when you stop petting and scratching him.
Did we mention that he doesn’t like it when the petting stops?
And when the scratching starts is when the fun really begins! Colvin has a spot on his back where he especially loves to be scratched, and when you hit it his head turns and his tongue goes crazy — just like a dog’s leg when you hit that perfect scratch spot.
Colvin absolutely loves his back scratches!
Colvin has taught us much about resilience in the face of adversity. He has experienced so much loss in his lifetime, and while we can never bring back his immediate family, we can make sure he knows that he still has a loving and supportive extended family who will always love and care for him.
Colvin enjoying Farm Sanctuary life! (Photo by Dakota Gale.)
Please share Colvin’s story. Together, we can encourage awareness and understanding about the rich emotional lives and strong family bonds experienced by sheep like him. With your support, we can continue to promote compassionate vegan living through rescue, education, and advocacy efforts. A compassionate world begins with you!
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