Debbie, SASHA’s smallest and shyest mule, and Rosie, the smallest of SASHA’s donkeys, joined the SASHA Family in July of 2018. In their earlier lives they lived with a large group of horses and donkeys, receiving poor care and little human attention. Eventually both equines were rescued from their original situation by a loving, compassionate couple in Michigan and they all lived happily on a small Michigan farm. The couple surrendered Debbie and Rosie to SASHA Farm when they found they needed to relocate, no longer able to keep up with the work of their farm. They were happy to find a forever home where the two equines could be together in a safe and loving atmosphere.

As time passed, the two became more independent of each other, and have now joined different family units. Rosie the donkey has attached herself to Norman, our Mammoth Donkey, whereas Debbie the mule spends much of her time grazing alone or tagging along with the other mules. Debbie is approximately 18-19 years old, and Rosie is about 22.

At first, Rosie was pretty timid. She had a hard time fitting in and rarely showed her humans any affection. She often seemed lonely and unsure. Nowadays, our littlest donkey has warmed up to her caretakers and can be seen following them around the horse yard, braying for attention. She wraps herself around her favorite people to show her love and appreciation, while hanging out often with her biggest best friend Norman!

Debbie is our most cautious equine. She’s still in the process of getting comfortable with any human interaction. This meek mule will hang back so she is hidden among the other equines, avoiding any attention. However, she has come a very long way. She used to run away from even the slightest eye contact and wouldn’t go near any of her caretakers. Now, she will slowly approach us for treats and seems interested in our presence. It’s a start and we couldn’t be prouder of her progress.

Rosie the donkey and Debbie the mule are perfect additions to our animal family, and we continue to celebrate each as they find their own journeys to being individuals in their own right. It’s amazing to see them blossom into their own personalities.

OLGA THE ROOSTER

Don’t let a name fool you! Olga is a “he” – also known as the friendly orange rooster. I’m sure you’ll agree when seeing his picture that he is a quite a handsome fella too! His wattles (the fleshy growths under his chin), and his combs (the fleshy growths on top of his head) are large and distinctive. (Both male and female chickens can have combs and wattles.)

He was part of several chicks purchased by a family in a nearby community. His owners thought he was a hen, hence his name, but he started crowing. Unfortunately, once it was clear he was a rooster, he was violating a local ordinance, and he did not make the neighbors very happy either. Luckily for Olga, his owners found SASHA and he joined the SASHA Family. He’s never had to worry about leaving his home again and he can crow whenever the time is right for him!

His caregivers describe him as “a very sweet rooster who loves attention. Being the only rooster in the Main Coop means he has a big job to do on a daily basis. He has to care for many hens to ensure they are safe during the day and tucked in properly at night. Olga has a good relationship with most of the birds in the Main Coop, but he has a very special bond with Marty, our little chick rescued from a hotel room a few years ago – they are most certainly best friends forever. Like most birds, he loves to dust bathe with his buddies and lies in the yard on sunny days. In the evening, he snuggles up to Jack, our female turkey. Being a rooster at SASHA is pretty awesome!”

Olga makes every day better at SASHA for hens like Marty and the rest of his flock, and for sweet turkeys like Jack. And he makes his caregivers smile every day. Life is good at SASHA!!

SIENA THE GUERNSEY COW

Siena (sometimes spelled Sienna) is the name of a village in the central part of the Tuscany region of Italy, surrounded by hilly landscape. Siena, the Guernsey mix who calls SASHA Farm her lifetime home was named by her loving and compassionate sponsors, who had visited this village and would never forget the peace and beauty of the area and people. They wanted peace and beauty to be in the future for this beautiful sentient being.

Sadly, Siena had anything BUT peace and beauty in her young life up to the point of her rescue. She was very timid when she first arrived as one of the 8 survivors of the Livingston County Dairy Farm cruelty case. But, why wouldn’t she be? After watching 70 of her animal friends die in front of her, and spending her life up to that time with little or no care, we knew that she wouldn’t trust humans for a long while.

After a couple months at the sanctuary, Sienna and her buddies started to emerge from their shells – especially as our produce volunteers fed them treats every weekend in their barn. Though she wouldn’t come up to humans on a regular basis, she often found her way to the snacks and slowly started to open up to her human caregivers.

Today, Siena is very friendly, trusting, and a leader among the main cattle herd. Her personality has blossomed and we all are so thankful – proving that a little patience and a lot of love can go a long way. Farmed animals, too, should be treated with the same love and respect shown to companion animals. We are so thankful that she is happy and thriving at SASHA. We love you, Sienna!

GRAHAM THE MINI HORSE SAYS HI! Well, Graham is not exactly brand new to SASHA but he whispered to us that he may not have met all of you. So we thought we’d do a little meet and greet so Graham can feel the love too!

Graham joined SASHA Farm in 2018, after being rescued by the Humane Society of Huron Valley from a neglect case in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Despite his small size and slight limp, he started his new life at SASHA as a feisty little guy who drove the other equines crazy, often running circles around them and actually behaving like a pint-sized bully. Even little Johann the mule, who held the record for feistiness until Graham joined, was somewhat intimidated. The Animal Care team found he would steer clear of humans, obviously having learned to mistrust people, most likely because of abuse in his past.

What is a miniature horse anyway? Miniature Horses are no taller than 38 inches and come in a rainbow of coat colors and patterns. They are known to be easily trained, have a gentle nature, and can pull four times their own weight so are sometimes put to work on a farm. These horses are descended from Shetland ponies and were selectively inbred for their size. Mini horses are often raised as companion or therapy animals, but we assume if Graham had been obtained for those reasons, he had not “made the grade” at all and had never had a positive connection to humans or other equines.

Fast forward to 2021. Due to 2 ½ years of loving kindness and care, and patience from both his human caregivers and his fellow equines, Graham has slowly changed. Our Animal Care manager says, “Graham is less excitable now, that’s for sure. All the equines get along with him these days. He is best friends with Johann. They are basically inseparable, always running around together. It’s adorably entertaining. We sometimes let them out in the big cow pasture because they love to run up and down the hill, keeping happy and healthy at the same time.”  Finally, Graham’s loving humans can approach Graham and he will not run away or kick up his heels at them. He has found his very special place at SASHA and in the world.

Graham, like all SASHA residents, is an individual who has been respected for who he is, even from his first day where it was obvious that he came with a lot of “baggage”. We had to give him space and time to work through his past, and the opportunity to know the peace and safety that is SASHA Farm. It makes each of us know why we do what we do. Graham will have a lifetime, happy home at SASHA Farm, with no strings attached.