Peggy Sue, We Love You!

 This month we brought home a new family member.  Her name is Peggy Sue and we love her already.  Peggy Sue was born with a birth defect and her family brought her to their veterinarian, who just so happens to be our vet as well.   Dr. Molnar saw how adorable she was and how much personality she had and recommended surgery to see if the defect could be corrected.  The family, however, wanted to put her down.  Dr. Molnar called us and asked if he treated her, would we keep her, and of course, we said yes.
Peggy had surgery as well as laser treatments and daily stretching to no avail.  They just could not get her leg to set straight.  But she was fully mobile on one leg.  After a few months in the hospital, Dr. Molnar said she was ready to come home to us.  He said that she does extremely well on one leg and could have a normal life in our care.
Peggy Sue came home to us this week and acts as if she has been here forever.   She is very affectionate and prefers to be with people as much as she can.   She likes to explore and eat leaves, and is so grateful when we bring her love offerings of berries and grapes.  When we hold her, she makes these adorable happy sounds, much like the purring of a cat.  When there is a volunteer in the barnyard, she’ll hop clear across the yard just to lay next to the volunteer and stretch out next to them.
To look at Peggy Sue one would think it would be difficult to hop on one leg like that, but she makes it look effortless.  She never complains and is always happy and carefree. The animals in our barnyard have given Peggy a warm welcome.  Peggy will spend the rest of her life at The Gentle Barn, giving hope and inspiration to people with physical differences and challenges of their own.
The Gentle Barn is home to hundreds of animals rescued from abuse and neglect. Once the animals are rehabilitated, we give them sanctuary for the rest of their lives, and when they are ready, the animals help us heal people with the same stories as the animals. The Gentle Barn is open every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for guests to hug the cows, feed the horses, give the pigs tummy rubs, cuddle the turkeys and so much more.
For directions and more information, go to www.gentlebarn.org.