Meet Huxley, an utterly adorable ram who was rescued from a zoo—where he had lived for 10 years and where he was known as the "depressed ram"—by Rian Feldman and Scooter Belasco, who run an animal rescue and sanctuary called Uncle Neil's Home. Rian used to visit Huxley while he was still living at the zoo, and finally convinced the zoo to let her adopt him.
Huxley bonded quickly with the other sheep at the rescue, but made an especially close connection with a sheep named Josephine. She makes sure Huxley, who was diagnosed with end stage osteoarthritis and moves around very slowly, never gets left behind, and always has a companion by his side.
This video is so sweet, it's definitely worth a watch. I love how the other sheep hover supportively around Huxley when he's getting his laser therapy treatments. And seeing him eat his favorite snack, bananas, is ridiculously cute.
Uncle Neil's Home explains that their mission is to rescue farmed animals "while educating and advocating for compassionate, vegan and cruelty-free lifestyles to make our world a kinder place for all." They further explain:
Many years ago, Rian and Scooter began their rescue journey with dog rescue until quickly realizing that being a "voice for the voiceless" should not only apply to the animals who we consider family and welcome into our homes, but to all living beings. When they rescued their dog, Uncle Neil, in 2018, he was in very rough shape and it took months to nurse him back to health. During that trying time, it was impossible for them not to think about the countless other animals who needed love and protection, just as much as Uncle Neil did. Rian and Scooter became inspired to take the unconditional love that they have for Uncle Neil and spread it to other animals in need. They were already vegan and abstained from exploiting animals in any way, but they wanted to do more. They decided to purchase a farm and turn it into a safe haven for those who need it most. They named the sanctuary Uncle Neil's Home, and began their mission to rescue farmed animals and give them a lifelong home.
You can learn more about the rescue and sponsor Huxley (or any of the other residents at the rescue—including cats, chickens, cows, ducks, goats, pigs, sheep, and turkeys) here.
