Tara Anna was a sheep with a great spirit! In the summer of 2005, we received a call from the local police department to come and get a sheep who 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 they told us after was not only shocking, but also 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 riding 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 MFS 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, as well as bruising of her spirit that we feared would take a miracle to heal.
Well miracles do happen at MFS! Over the years, Tara Anna gradually recovered from her trauma and began to heal. She bonded with other sheep at the sanctuary as well as goats, pigs, and llamas, and she even came to trust people again. Volunteers were very careful around her and never picked up a broom or stick when she was near, as we never wanted her to feel petrified again.
Tara Anna passed away from natural causes associated with old age about twelve years after she arrived at MFS, in summer 2017. We are so happy that we were able to give her a loving home where should could recover from her trauma and know peace and comfort for many years.
