Joe Kahlo
Meet Helen, a blind bison who has spent many years of her life at Oregan’s Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary without making any friends
Understandably this left her nervous, suspicious, and seemingly intended to live the rest of her life sad and alone… then came along Oliver.
Oliver was a young curious Jersey calf who before long broke down Helen’s barriers to the point the pair became good friends.
The duo are now inseparable, with Helen seemingly ‘adopting’ Oliver as one of her children, Oliver’s fur has even changed color as time went on to match hers.
“He’s actually turned into a baby buffalo,” Lighthouse Sanctuary director Gwen Jakubisin told USA Today. “The change in her demeanor is incredible, her joy is palpable.”
“Betsy (Oliver’s mom) usually drops Oliver off at ‘daycare’ and roams around while Helen watches over him for the rest of day, and she’s cool with that,” she said.
“I catch them grooming each other which is amazing because I don’t think Helen has ever had that opportunity to express that motherly instinct before.”
Their friendship has given Helen her confidence and brought her out of her shell, enough for her to befriend other animals in the sanctuary.
Over 200 animals are homed at the sanctuary that is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming abused and neglected farm animals.
Their mission is to “help shine a light on the realities of animal agriculture and lead the way to a more compassionate world.”
“At Lighthouse Farm Sanctuary we believe that every individual has the right to freedom. Freedom from pain, freedom from fear, and freedom from oppression.”
“We provide those with the most heartbreaking stories hope and the promise of the freedom to be themselves. A promise of companionship, of love, and of care.”
“Our sanctuary is home to 250 non-human animals who have seen the very worst of humanity and every day they amaze us with their profound abilities to love and to be loved, even after the tragedies they have endured.”
“Our goal is to share their stories with the community and bring about positive change in the way they are viewed by society.”
“By fostering beautiful, meaningful bonds between people and the animals they may see as “food” or as “things” we are changing the future for the individuals who mean so much to us.”
“People who visit and volunteer at the sanctuary often comment on the unique sense of peace they feel when being here. All of our residents cohabitate peacefully and have strong friendships with one another.”
“They know they are safe and loved. We like to call it a kind of magic created by love, trust, and understanding.”
Check out the sanctuary’s Facebook and Instagram pages to see more!
