As anyone who has grown close to an animal could attest, these bonds make it hard to say goodbye. We know that bringing animals the peaceful and painless deaths they’re denied in animal agriculture is as much a part of sanctuary as helping them heal when they first arrive, and yet, who is ever ready to part from someone they love?

Time and again, our caregivers must say goodbye to animals they’ve held through pain and joy—animals who’ve kept them going when the suffering we’re working to end weighs heavily on their hearts. 

Today, as we honor our compassionate caregivers, let’s also celebrate the lives of some of our rescued residents who passed away in recent months and the special bonds they formed at Farm Sanctuary.

At just three months old, Pamela and another lamb named Francis were boarded at a veterinary clinic in Syracuse, NY, where Francis was going to be used in a play. “On loan” from an area farm, these young sheep would have been sold at auction for slaughter when they returned.

Thankfully, the veterinary staff and students performing in the play would not let that happen. The farmer agreed to surrender Pamela and Francis to the clinic, and, having visited Farm Sanctuary several times, one of the veterinary technicians asked us to give them a forever home. On the day Francis would have been sold, the pair arrived at our New York shelter.

“Pamela was absolutely beautiful and regal. She loved her caregivers, and we loved her in return,” says Farm Sanctuary Veterinary Assistant Emily. “She is extremely missed, and the sanctuary isn’t the same without her.”

We loved Dixon so much that it’s hard to believe that anyone ever considered him worthless. Like other male calves born on a farm, the industry deemed him unprofitable because he couldn’t make milk. Thankfully, a kind rescuer saw Dixon on Craigslist for free and saw him as priceless.

Dixon would become one of the sweetest members of our herd, and he inspired his caregivers daily with his capacity for connection. But his impact on those around him started on day one. 

Dixon’s arrival at Farm Sanctuary meant everything to two cows looking for love. We had just recently rescued Leo, a fellow dairy survivor, and the bonded pair would grow up side by side as they became gentle giants. And Jackie cow, grieving the loss of her calf, quickly took Dixon under her “wing,” caring for a calf denied the comfort of his own mom and finding in Dixon the family she needed.

Adriano was still a vulnerable little lamb when he was found starving in a squalid barn with his mother, Florence, and twin sister, Isabella. The property’s owner bought farm animals at auction, used them for breeding, and slaughtered their young on-site. More than 60 animals were rescued from this cruel farm, including Adriano and his family.

Understandably, Florence was fiercely protective of her lambs, and Adriano would grow to be a guardian of his family, too. Always watching over them, always loving. He even liked to stand watch for the flock in the sheep barn.

But as Adriano came to love his caregivers, he became one of the most affectionate sheep we’ve ever known. He would seek out affection from those he trusted, giving gentle nudges to ask for pets and scratches.

Darla once found herself in need of a place to call home. Her former guardians were facing foreclosure on their property, so they surrendered Darla to an animal control shelter in the hope that she would be adopted. As it turned out, she found a big forever family at Farm Sanctuary.

Here, she soon fell head over hooves for Sam horse, and the two were inseparable for over 10 years. When her soulmate Sam passed away, Darla found healing companionship in Joann and Zoe horses. 

Darla formed friendships with her caregivers, too, as her quirky personality and joy for life brightened our days. “Darla was a spunky, fun, and independent lady who loved walks to the courtyard and being hosed down in the summer. She will be greatly missed by us all,” says caregiver Nicole.

Sadly, most farm animals find suffering instead of sanctuary—a tragic truth we are striving to change. 

Those who are rescued are the lucky ones, but we are also lucky to rescue them. To be part of a solution and part of their journeys.

We would like to close this tribute to our caregiver and animal friends with heartfelt words from Farm Sanctuary Veterinary Assistant Emily, who felt increasingly close to Pamela sheep over the last few months as Pamela’s mobility declined, and held her in her final moments.

“I cried with a fellow caregiver as Pamela took her last breaths in this realm. It was an honor to care for her, and I knew we made the right decision for her when she passed quickly and peacefully.

As sad as it is to lose any resident, I just try to hold them in my heart and remember that they lived a long life, something they were not promised, because they were a lucky one.”