Check out Moko's feature on The Dodo!!
Moko
Moko and Jumbie are brother and sister, and came to us in Spring of 2018. The two were born on a commercial farm, most likely being bred for lamb meat. After accidentally being born in a pasture that winter, they both lost their ears to frostbite, and Moko lost part of his hind legs before anyone even knew they were alive. Luckily the farmer found them and surrendered them to us.
We first started Moko's journey to mobility with the help of a wheelchair, though with time, it became clear that he needed something more, as the wheelchair put too much pressure on his front legs. This caused his front fetlocks (like human wrists, but what keeps sheep standing) to collapse completely. With the help of
Derrick Campana of Bionic Pets, Moko was able to walk for years with the help of both front and back prosthetics. Watching him tear across the yard uninhibited brought a smile to our faces every time. Moko used to love walking up to whoever sat in a lawn chair and beg to be held in their laps. There is nothing in the world he loves more than being held.
When Moko began to develop bone spurs and his prosthetics began to cause him pain, we had to get creative. One day, we decided to give a hot tub a try, and the rest is history. In the tub, he is truly weightless, and the warm water loosens up all his precious joints. Our incredible volunteer Penny spends several hours in the tub with him every day, and Moko often falls asleep with his head resting on her shoulder. This year, we opted to move his hot tub indoors so he can use it year-round! Once it's time to come inside, Moko loves to be dried off with the hair dryer and wrapped up in a towel. When he's not in the tub, he has his own queen sized bed he shares with Jay, and also spends time on his Lovesac or in his sling. Moko needs 24/7 human supervision, and always has his sister Jumbie nearby, as the two are inseparable. We are often asked "Why not just euthanize him?" Moko may not have the typical life of a sheep, but we feel like if you could ask him, he would say he loves his life. Moko is not in pain, lives a life full of comfort, love, and doting, spends time outside, and if his health or happiness were to take a turn for the worse, our goal is always to honor our animals' quality of life. Being Moko's caretakers has changed our lives and the lives of so many who come meet him and follow us on social media. His determination and love for life is inspiring, and the love he gives us is worth more than anything that could ever be measured. Moko is truly the sweetest, most trusting sheep in the world, and he is our whole world. We would go to the ends of the earth for this little man, and watching him content and loving his life makes all the work worth it!