Animal Stories from All-Creatures.org

We Had to Say Goodbye to Winnie

From Eden Farmed Animal Sanctuary
July 2023

From the moment Winnie arrived at Eden, she was an engaging, affectionate, vocal sheep. She had an enormous coat and when we sheared her, she was covered in skin boils which must have caused her immense discomfort. She never liked having her head rubbed so we suspect some sensitivity remained and we were always careful to scratch her neck and back instead.

Sadly, we have had to say goodbye to Winnie. She joined us five years ago when she arrived at Eden along with Sean, Walter and Brownie. They had been living at Kildare Animal Foundation for several years. Winnie is the last of that group to depart: Sean died of liver failure, Brownie died of old age, and Walter died from ingesting a piece of electric wire left on the ground by the careless construction staff working on his barn.

From the moment Winnie arrived at Eden, she was an engaging, affectionate, vocal sheep. She had an enormous coat and when we sheared her, she was covered in skin boils which must have caused her immense discomfort. She never liked having her head rubbed so we suspect some sensitivity remained and we were always careful to scratch her neck and back instead.

She lived a very fulfilling life at Eden, initially integrating into our large group of semi-special needs sheep—the newly rescued, sheep who were getting on in years, and growing lambs. She grew to love grain and if she saw one of us with a bucket of grain in our hands, she would bellow from a distance as if to say 'don't forget about me'.

In 2021 she and Willow had aged noticeably and needed extra attention so they were allocated a paddock and barn of their own, where there was no competition. They had shelter, with a supply of hay and water indoors and outside, so they never had to go far to have their needs met. On good days they grazed the paddock but in bad weather they stayed near their hay and didn't stir out. They had a daily supply of grain with supplements for their aging bodies, and pain relief when they needed it.

Winnie's arthritis got worse despite treatment with supplements, anti-inflammatories and cartrophen for the last few years. Arthritis is ubiquitious in older animals who have been bred to be slaughtered for their flesh in our non-vegan world. Few of them stay alive sufficiently long for it to become noticeable but on sanctuaries where they live until old age, it is a constant presence. We didn't want her to live with pain that was unmanageable so we made the decision that she would be put to sleep.

We dread the day when we have to make a decision like this but we regard the end of life on our sanctuary as being just as important as rescue. When we realised the end would be soon, we gave her a large supply of ivy and lots of treats. She died peacefully, without fear and without pain, attended to by a careful and respectful vet who she has known for years. It is as much as one can ask for when life runs out.

We will miss the sight of her contentedly chewing her ivy, excitedly coming into her barn for her grain, and living peacefully with Willow in their hospital paddock. We will miss her friendly greeting as we pass their barn. We will miss her intent stare when we approach, watching our every move to see what joys we might be bringing to her that day. We will miss her company and the happiness she brought us when she came to Eden and graced us with her life.

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