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A Few Of The Animals & Their
Stories
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 Cassie the
CowA gentle giant. Cassie
has been diagnosed with agoraphobia. Agoraphobia arises from an
internal anxiety condition that has become so intense that the
suffering individual fears going anywhere or doing anything where
these feelings of panic have repeatedly occurred before. She was at
a slaughterhouse when she jumped a 6 foot fence to escape the
torture and inhumane conditions. There is no question as to why she
suffers from agoraphobia. Cassie was then rescued and brought to us.
When the diagnosis was made she was given a course of medication
similar to that used with humans. But, sadly, that did not work for
her.
Cassie's fear was so intense that she originally only felt
comfortable in a dark stall with no windows. Cassie has received so
much patient love and kindness from all the workers at the Farm and
her friends the Chickens that she has allowed Jim to make her a
window. Now, she actually ventures out of her stall into the barn
for a few minutes at a time. Cassie receives holistic treatments and
has been comforted by music therapy.
She has a peaceful life now. It is not up to us to determine what
her goals should be but when she is ready for her next step in
treatment we will all be there to help her gain freedom from this
debilitating disorder. To read Cassie's full story
click here.
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 Kali
the Brown Swiss Calf
Kali was first heard but not seen at a garden center in
western Massachusetts.
A lady who we'll call Linda was going to this garden
center to buy a few plants for her garden. As she
shopped for her plants she could hear a calf calling
out. Linda began looking for the source of all the
crying. She was lead to a locked equipment shed. After
locating a garden center worker Linda found that Kali
had been locked in this shed for lack of a better place
at the end of the day.
The shed was opened and there was Kali, trapped under
some heavy equipment that had fallen over. With great
effort Kali was freed from the tangle of equipment.
Linda was able to get Kali out of this abusive
environment and was safe with Linda,
but as Kali grew a new home was needed. Linda found
two wonderful people, Marnie and Bob who, in turn, found
Maple Farm Sanctuary. After a few phone calls Kali was
driven to the Sanctuary. As Kali was lead off the
trailer it was obvious she knew that the people that now
surrounded her cared for and loved her. Kali's eyes are
soft and gentle but there is a sparkle reflecting a
joyous spirit.
Kali, the brown Swiss calf who
came to us this summer, is now Kali the young, extremely
happy cow. She is so excitable and full of life. I'm
still trying to get a good picture of Kali sleeping and
cuddling in the barn with her new friends Jonathan the
pig and Lucky the miniature horse!
Everything in her life seems to give her reason to
celebrate. When Jim gives her hay, Kali jumps around and
tosses her head. We do need to be vigilant and make sure
she doesn't get too close during her moments of
celebration! When a new visitor comes into the barnyard
and Kali spots them, she comes running for attention.
This spring she'll be receiving her spring shots and
getting wormed. Then, we hope to get her out with the
other cows. This will give her more friends (after some
social adjustment), more space and green grass. With her
serious lust for life this will also be safer for
barnyard visitors! |
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 Lucky
the Miniature PonyA small
horse with a big heart! Lucky is a breed of horse that humans have
created-the miniature. They’re adorable and have a loving attitude.
Unfortunately, they suffer from an extremely high birth rate of
dwarfism. Some breeders choose to euthanize the miniatures who are
born with dwarfism, others find homes for them hoping they’ll
receive good care. Lucky suffers from dwarfism and has various
musculoskeletal defects, the most obvious being his front hooves and
his overbite. The problem with his hooves is often mistaken for
neglect, for not being trimmed properly. In reality, the bones in
his hooves are turned outward, only allowing the hooves to grow
sideways.
Lucky was rescued from a local miniature horse breeder who had left
him to die in a pen with many other neglected miniatures. Because we
were acquainted with these people, we asked if we could take Lucky.
Looking at him then was heartbreaking. He was young, weak, skinny
and had a bloated belly from parasites. After some negotiating, we
were allowed to bring Lucky to Maple Farm.
We immediately began a
program that consisted of gradual, healthy feeding and scheduled a
visit from the veterinarian to examine his feet. The x-ray confirmed
the deformity. Someday his deformities will cause him arthritis. We will continue to provide him with a high-quality life
and continue his relationships with the llamas, goats and his
favorite friends, Jonathan and Piggy Wiggy.
Just a short while ago Lucky was under
a tree fighting for his life; today Lucky has put on weight and is
living a joyful life and glad to have had Cheri and Jim find him and
love him. We are so lucky to have Lucky today!
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 Tara
Anna the Sheep
Tara Anna is a sheep with a great
spirit! We received a call from the local police department to
come and get a sheep that was in need of our help. The police
told us that she was hiding in bushes. Since sheep are shy and
skittish we were not shocked by that, but what was then told to
us by the police was not only shocking, but inhumane, appalling
and heart wrenching.
A group of women had tied a rope
around Tara Anna's neck and were dragging her around their back
yard by a ride lawn mower. While Tara Anna struggled to get
free, other women beat her with sticks and a baseball bat. When
the police arrived and cut her free they asked why. The woman
claimed that they were planning on using her as a piñata to stab
to death and then have for dinner.
When we approached Tara Anna, she
wasn't shy or skittish; she was petrified. We finally got her to
the Farm and put her in a comfortable stall next to the
majestic, calming llamas. We called the vet and had her
examined, while there were no broken bones there was intense
internal bruising, let alone a bruising of her spirit that would
take a miracle to heal. Well miracles do happen on the Farm!
Although Tara Anna is still struggling with her horrific ordeal,
she has found comfort at the Farm and with her best sheep friend
Beau. She is now confident enough to roam outside with the
llamas and the pigs. We are very aware of her and do not to pick
up a stick or broom while Tara Anna is anywhere near us. We
never want her to feel petrified again!
Click here to read Tara Anna's article in the newspaper.
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 Sid
& Chloe the Goats
In February of 2008 we received a call
regarding the birth of twin goats and the mother and "kids" were all
doing poorly on one of the most frigid nights of the winter. We
agreed to go help and left with a few first aid supplies. When we
entered the barn there was a plywood box erected and a heat lamp was
clamped to the top edge. I looked in to see two tiny baby goats with
little life left in their cold bodies. I had hoped to help them
begin nursing on their Mom but she too was in sad shape. She hadn't
been fed enough during her pregnancy, she had mastitis (an infection
of the udder) and she was a bag of bones with no interest in the two
lives near her feet. I offered to take the babies and bring them
back to health, hopefully, and raise them. Before I left I milked
the poor mother from the healthy side of her udder so the babies
would have the very important colostrum, essential for their immune
system development. I left with the two babies and the mother was
under the care of our friends who would take good care of her and
nurse her back to health.
When we got back to the sanctuary Iwith the goats we went straight
to our "intensive care" unit...our bathroom. I lined the tub with
old towels and placed the two babies in their new bed. I warmed the
colostrum and carefully fed the kids. After a day they began acting
as if they had some life in them and one began to try and stand.
Usually with kids, getting on their feet only takes a few hours
after birth. These little ones had a way to go. Finally, on day
three they were beginning to stand. Now they are full of life in the
goat barn with other goats, livestock guard dogs and Little Bit, a
lamb who they are enjoying growing up with!
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The Llamas
We have about 18
llamas that live here at MFS! A few of them were here before
we became a sanctuary. Most of them have come from various
rescues where they were ready to be trucked to the slaughterhouse.
As you can imagine,
those who went through a livestock auction, and those who made it as
far as the slaughterhouse, are very shy with humans. Most of
them are very old but given their comfortable, healthy lifestyle,
they could live for another five to eight years! |
Rainbow Bridge...stories
of our critter friends who have passed.
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Maple Farm
Sanctuary is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with tax-exempt
status.
Donations are always appreciated!
Maple Farm Sanctuary ~ 101 North Avenue ~ Mendon, MA
01756
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Smokey
The Resident Cat
Jonathan the Pig
When the family called and asked for our help we immediately stepped
in. We then noticed Jonathan had a large hernia the size of a
softball on his pelvis. A hernia occurs when the contents of a body
cavity bulge out of the area where they are normally contained.
Jonathan had stopped eating, if you can imagine a pig not eating,
drinking and urinating; he was in so much pain.
Jonathan was rushed to a veterinary hospital where he under went
hernia surgery. He now lives at the farm happy as a pig should be!
He now weighs close to 500 pounds and his best buddies are Lucky and Piggy Wiggy. There are no words large
enough to describe the personality of this lovable, jovial, spark of
life Pig!