Sammy’s story is one of survival against all odds. It began on a sheep dairy farm, where Sammy’s pregnant mother had fallen gravely ill. The farm’s veterinarian performed what’s called a euthanasia C-section, hoping to save Sammy and their siblings.
Sadly, of the three lambs delivered that day, only one survived—Sammy. A friend of the dairy farmer stepped in to raise the tiny orphan, bottle-feeding them around the clock and quickly falling in love with the sweet, resilient lamb.
As Sammy grew, they began displaying behaviors that the farmer mistook for aggression. That would be a death sentence for most sheep living on farms, but Sammy’s caregiver couldn’t bear that fate and surrendered them to Farm Sanctuary.
In April, our team drove from Los Angeles to Yosemite to bring Sammy to safety. We quickly discovered that Sammy is a freemartin sheep—meaning they cannot reproduce. This explained their behavior on the farm—what some saw as “aggression” was actually fear and confusion. Sammy has flourished at the sanctuary and is known for their trusting and affectionate nature, leaning in for hugs and scratches from anyone lucky enough to meet this special sheep.
Sammy sheep enjoys scratches from caregiver Sabrina
