Photo: A nonprofit called Don’t Forget Us, Pet Us.
Kiki on her cart, which she moves around on her own.
Today’s article is from that section of the Washington Post that focuses on cheery stories, often about animals. We learn about a rescued sheep with a talent for learning new tricks.
Sydney Page writes at the Washington Post, “A sheep named Kiki zips around the yard of an animal sanctuary in a motorized wheelchair. She navigates on her own, tilting a joystick with her head to move forward and back, left and right.
“ ‘She’s like a crazy teenager; she wants to go very fast,’ said Deb Devlin, president of the Don’t Forget Us, Pet Us sanctuary in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts.
“Kiki was born with limited mobility and cannot walk. … At birth, Kiki’s mother rejected her and refused to feed her, which is not uncommon when a lamb is sick or disabled. The farm where Kiki was born didn’t have the resources to look after her and contacted Don’t Forget Us, Pet Us to see if they could help. Devlin went right away, in December 2021, to see the 11-day-old lamb.
“ ‘When I first saw her, I felt so sad for her,’ said Devlin, who co-founded the nonprofit sanctuary in 2016. ‘She was on this gentleman’s lap, she was wrapped in a blanket, and she was shivering.’
“Kiki can feel sensations from her neck down, though she is unable to move herself. During Kiki’s first months at the sanctuary, Devlin and other volunteers tried physical therapy, chiropractic treatments, laser therapy and even tendon release surgery. None of it worked.
“[So] Devlin began focusing on what Kiki could already do. She decided to experiment with toys as enrichment. … She got interactive, press-and-play children’s toys and quickly noticed that Kiki was able to operate them using her head.
“ ‘When she got the hang of the toy, she would press through the buttons until she got to her favorite song, “Twinkle, Twinkle,” ‘ Devlin said. ‘She would stop and put her head on it and gaze up, listening to the music.’
“Then Kiki began to dance. … Seeing how easily Kiki controlled the toys, Devlin suspected she might also be able to use a joystick to navigate. …
“Devlin and her team of five volunteers experimented with trying to adapt Kiki’s stroller into something she could maneuver herself, but they struggled to come up with a design. …
“After joining e-bike groups on social media for advice, Devlin tried a motorized wheelchair. She reached out to Mobility Equipment Recyclers of New England — a wheelchair store in North Kingston, Rhode Island — and secured a motorized chair for Kiki with the help of donations.
“Devlin then zip-tied a cargo stroller body to the wheelchair base and repositioned the joystick so Kiki could reach it with her head. The result was a cart Kiki could move on her own. …
“When Kiki took control of the wheelchair for the first time, everyone was stunned.
“ ‘It took seconds for her to start driving it,’ Devlin said [adding] it was clear Kiki knew what she was doing.
“ ‘She knows the cause and effect of that joy stick and that she is moving herself,’ she said. …
“A video the sanctuary shared on social media of Kiki driving around the yard went viral, drawing thousands of comments.
“Everybody online finds her so inspirational,” Devlin said. “The only thing we were really lacking with Kiki was independent mobility, and now she has it.”
Of the more than 7,000 comments on a Facebook post of the video, Devlin said, the majority are positive. … Still, some commenters questioned her quality of life.
“ ‘For me, those reactions were very hard,’ Devlin said, explaining that Kiki gets regular wellness checks to ensure she isn’t in pain or discomfort. …
“Kiki eats and drinks, grazes, sunbathes, makes music with a chime set, watches Disney shows, listens to Taylor Swift and even kayaks. She dances and visits schools and meets with children who have disabilities, helping them feel less alone. …
“Now that Kiki can drive on her own, volunteers said she’s developed a sassy side.
“ ‘You tell her it’s time to stop and she’ll look at you and drive away,’ said volunteer Jess Bullock. … Bullock said despite her mobility challenges, Kiki seems like a very happy girl. …
“Devlin said Kiki’s story is one of resilience and hope. ‘She has had such an impact on so many,’ she said. ‘Everyone is just so taken by Kiki and her journey.’ ”
More at the Post, here. I guess I’m guilty of speciesism, but I admit that the thing I like best about Kiki is that her success cheers human children who have disabilities. What is your take?
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