Huxley had a place to live, though it wasn’t a very nice one. And food to eat, though he wasn’t eating a proper diet.
But that still didn’t make this ram happy.
That’s because Huxley had no friends at the petting zoo where he lived. Taking one glance at him and you could see that Huxley was pretty miserable all by himself.
He was actually known as the “depressed ram” by those who would visit the zoo. Poor Huxley was placed in a pen at the zoo with no shelter covering.
Rain, snow, sleet, or hail… Huxley was forced to weather the elements when they would fall from the sky.
He also wasn’t being given a proper diet. Zoogoers would just throw stuff over the fence at him. So, he was very overweight, which put a lot of stress on his body.
But worst of all, he was left all alone. He would just sit in the corner of his pen all alone day after day.
But that all changed was Huxley was taken in by Uncle Neil’s Home, a sanctuary for rescued farm animals in New Jersey.
Rian Feldman, Founder and President of Uncle Neil’s Home, would visit Huxley often and would be heartbroken to see him out in the cold all by himself.
She would be kept up late at night thinking about poor Huxley and promised herself and him that she would get him out of that situation.
Feldman petitioned the County to release three animals from the zoo to Uncle Neil’s Home, where they could release critical care.
The County eventually agreed, and Feldman was able to take Huxley to his new home. She picked him up the next day.
Not only did Huxley have a new cozy soft bed to sleep in and proper shelter, but he had love and care, knowing that his life mattered.
Feldman made sure to give him kisses and pet him so he could feel affection.
It took Huxley a little while to get used to his new surroundings, but he finally realized that he was safe once he saw that his food and water were changed regularly and that his bed was fluffed every night.
Huxley is like a brand-new ram now. He has a newfound “zest for life,” and his personality shines through.
At first, he kept to himself, but over time he started making new friends.
He is now best friends with an ewe named Josephine. He’s also made friends with pigs and sheep. Huxley is also receiving medical care and has to get steroid injections every six months for his arthritis which he developed after years of neglect.
He also gets laser treatments and is on a strict medication and nutrition regimen. They even built him a ramp so he could climb into his stall easier.
But his favorite place to hang out is under a cherry blossom tree.
He and Feldman will sit there for hours while she scratches his neck so that he knows how loved he is.
“He just lives every single day very, very happy,” Feldman said. “He’s a different person than when we first met him.”
Feldman says that getting to witness Huxley’s transformation has been truly incredible.
Huxley is now living the life of his dreams. But Feldman says that Huxley has changed her life for the better as well.
Learn more about Huxley’s story in the video below.
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