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A sweet and curious sheep named Kiki is the star of the Don’t Forget Us Pet Us animal sanctuary in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Kiki was born fully paralyzed due to her mother getting Cache Valley virus from a mosquito bite, resulting in her rejecting Kiki at birth. Despite her heartbreaking beginnings, the charming sheep is now thriving. She spends her life roaming around the sanctuary grounds in an adapted motorized wheelchair operated by herself.
The team at Don’t Forget Us Pet Us, which specializes in disabled farm animals, took to Kiki as soon as she arrived, pampering her with care and treats. She was given toys and a TV, and got trips around the premises in a stroller, which she loved. When the staff noticed that she was figuring out how to use the dials of her gifts with her lips and teeth, they wondered if her smarts could translate to something else. So, they modified a motorized wheelchair just for her. The device is operated with a joystick, which Kiki quickly learned to use.
“When we adapted her motorized chair, we actually used a stroller body, which was something she was already used to being on,” Deborah Bell, president of Don’t Forget Us Pet Us, told GeoBeats Animals. “So, it was just figuring out where to position the joystick so that she could use her head the best she could to be able to do as many directions as she could. When she’s in that chair, she has the freedom to go where she wants to go…She’ll motor out to whatever spot she wants to be in and then she just puts her head up and she just basks in the sun.”
On top of happily exploring the sanctuary with her newly found independence, Kiki has also grown into an icon. She serves as an ambassador for Don’t Forget Us Pet Us and visits local schools. Her success story has also inspired the team to update wheelchairs for other sanctuary animals, such as Kashu, a rescued goat who now follows Kiki around during her adventures. When she’s not on her wheelchair, she likes to cuddle with other animals or get cozy next to the TV.
“I’ll be honest, she gets a mixed review. Some people [say], ‘Oh, that’s no quality of life.’ But for the most part, people are absolutely blown away,” Bell adds. Don’t Forget Us Pet Us has also gotten requests from similar sanctuaries to share how they adapted the wheelchair, as they have animals that could benefit from a device like this. “They have no idea that an animal could have intelligence like this to do something like this. I just think it’s wonderful that Kiki can show that this can be done.”
To stay up with Kiki and her farm friends, make sure to follow Don’t Forget Us Pet Us on Instagram and visit the sanctuary’s website to learn more about Kiki.
A sweet, curious, and smart sheep named Kiki is the star of the Don’t Forget Us Pet Us animal sanctuary in Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Kiki was born fully paralyzed, but now she roams around in an adapted motorized wheelchair she operates herself.
Ver esta publicación en Instagram
Learn more about Kiki in the video below.
Don’t Forget Us Pet Us: Website
Sources: Sheep has learned to drive motorized wheelchair; Paralyzed Sheep Drives Her Adapted Motorized Wheelchair Around the Sanctuary Grounds;
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