PARALYZED SHEEP CONTINUES TO LIFE OUT HER LIFE BY MOVING AROUND IN HER MOTORIZED WHEELCHAIR
The star of the Don't Forget Us Pet Us animal sanctuary in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, is a cute and inquisitive sheep named Kiki. Because her mother rejected Kiki at birth after contracting the Cache Valley virus from a mosquito bite, Kiki was born completely disabled. The endearing sheep is now flourishing despite her tragic origins. She lives her life wandering the sanctuary grounds in a self-operated motorised wheelchair that has been modified for her needs.
As soon as Kiki came, the staff at Don't Forget Us Pet Us, a facility that specialised in crippled farm animals, embraced her and showered her with affection and treats. She adored being shown around the grounds in a pram and receiving toys and a TV. The staff questioned whether her intelligence could be applied to something else when they saw that she was using her lips and teeth to operate the dials on her gifts. For her, they customised a motorised wheelchair. Kiki rapidly learned how to use the joystick that controls the device.
Deborah Bell, president of Don't Forget Us Pet Us, told GeoBeats Animals, "We actually used a stroller body when we converted her motorised chair, which was something she was already used to being on." The only thing left to do was figure out how to set up the joystick so she could use her head as best she could to follow as many directions as possible. She can go anywhere she wants to go while she's in that chair. She will drive herself to any location she desires, then simply raise her head and enjoy the sun.
Kiki has become an icon in addition to joyfully roaming the sanctuary with her newfound freedom. She visits nearby schools as an ambassador for Don't Forget Us Pet Us. The crew has also been motivated by her success story to update wheelchairs for other sanctuary animals, such as Kashu, a rescued goat who now goes with Kiki on her outings. She enjoys snuggling with other animals or curling up by the television when she is not in her wheelchair.
She receives mixed reviews, I'll be honest. 'Oh, that's no quality of life,' other people say. However, the majority of people are utterly amazed," Bell continues. Similar sanctuaries have also asked Don't Forget Us Pet Us to share their wheelchair adaptations because they have animals that would benefit from such a gadget. They don't believe that an animal could be intelligent enough to act in this way. I simply think it's fantastic that Kiki can demonstrate that this is possible.