Sammy was born on a sheep dairy farm, where a veterinarian performed a “euthanasia c-section” due to the mom’s health. Sadly, out of three lambs, Sammy was the lone survivor.
The farmer would soon learn that Sammy was a “freemartin,” a term used to describe a female sheep born with male hormones and unable to reproduce. Because these sheep cannot produce a profit by having offspring, they are often considered worthless and killed by animal agriculture, but someone had formed a special bond with Sammy.
A friend had stepped in to help bottle-feed and raise the young lamb, and the farmer could see that their friend would be devastated if Sammy were slaughtered. So, we were asked to offer a forever home, and jumped at the chance to welcome Sammy to Farm Sanctuary.
Sammy had been exhibiting behaviors often seen in males, leading the farmer to warn us they were an “aggressive” sheep, but when Sabrina and Jenni from our rescue team arrived, Sammy was all love for their instant new friends.
Not only did Sammy show affection and gently accept being led onto our rescue trailer, but while parked along the journey, they even wanted to hang out up front with Sabrina and Jenni.
