When you think of undercover rescue operations, you might not think of farm animals. But for Carla Reilly Moore, co-founder of Happy Tails Farm Sanctuary in Ontario, Canada, the two go together all too well.
"Farmers often do not like sanctuaries, as we do expose the dark side of the industry," she said.
She recently expressing interest in a sick, orphaned, 2-day-0ld lamb she'd found online. The farmer refused to hand him over to a sanctuary, so Carla used some sneakiness in order to get him to a safe place.
She decided to go undercover, in a sense, and adopt the lamb. She made no mention of the fact that she ran a sanctuary, and spirited him away to a new life.
But the little lamb, whom she named Charlie, had a long way to go before he would be ready to run and frolic in the fields. He was very sick, and separation from his mother had also caused emotional problems, which is common in all animals who are taken from their mothers too early.
Luckily for little Charlie, he was in good hands thanks to the care Carla and her husband showed him. As it turns out, he was about to get some extra support from someone nobody expected.
[H/T: The Dodo]
When Charlie arrived at the Happy Tails Farm Sanctuary, he was all alone in the world.
His mother had died, and the owner of the farm where he was born didn't want to hand-raise him, so he put up an ad for his adoption.
Additionally, he was so sick that co-founder Carla Reilly Moore wasn't sure he was going to make it.
He needed surgery to correct a botched banding of his tail and testicles, and medication to clear up a bad infection that was causing diarrhea.
When Charlie came home, he immediately captured the interest of Dora, the family cat.
Dora herself was a rescue. She was found on the Moores' property in November 2016 when she was only a kitten, so maybe she could sense Charlie's fear and confusion.
Charlie needed surgery, and when he came home, Dora was there to greet him.
"Dora the kitten ran straight to his crate, and stayed with him until he woke up and came out to play again," Carla said.
Carla was more than happy to introduce the unexpected pair, too, knowing that Charlie needed all the love and support he could get.
"They had an instant connection, like it was always meant to be," she said.
"Dora and Charlie have a kinship now," she commented. "Both animals were in dire need, and both animals were taken in by us. Both animals were brought back to health, and together they are now living out their lives here at Happy Tails Farm."
Charlie is making a full recovery, and he has a new best friend by his side to help him through.
And as the cold weather continues, they're spending their time snuggling in the house.
And they can usually be found at one another's sides.
Charlie is getting stronger, as is Dora, and they're both getting the benefits of having a best friend to grow up next to.
Naturally, like all friends, they're even getting into a few messes!
Charlie is growing up to be an affectionate and happy sheep, and he loves cuddles from his human friends, too.
You can follow along on his adventures with Dora, as well as the adventures of the other farm animals at Happy Tails, on their website, as well as on Facebook. You can also help out by purchasing a gift off the sanctuary's wish list to make sure the animals get what they need.
SHARE this beautiful story of friendship with anyone who loves an odd couple!
