Fighting for Derek
Derek with his walking harness and exercise ball
It has been a rollercoaster month for the Surge Sanctuary team who have had their hands (and hearts) full with the arrival of Derek the lamb who has had a difficult start to life. Derek arrived to us without the use of his hind legs, and he cannot stand or walk on his own.
After consulting our local farm vets, we were only given one option - putting him to sleep. But Derek has a lust for life and we knew he wasn’t ready to give up – and neither were we.
We fought to get him a referral to The Royal Vet College (RVC) which is regarded as one of best university vets in Europe. There he was diagnosed with three fractured and infected vertebrae. The options were limited with medicine treatment and surgery on lambs is uncommon – in society they are treated more as a replaceable ‘product’ than an individual worth fighting for. We had to ask ‘what could be done for him if he was a dog?’
Following this, Derek spent two weeks at RVC as an inpatient, undergoing a CT scan, antibiotic treatment, and physiotherapy. He was cared for so well, and while healing will not be quick or easy, we can already see him getting stronger.
He is now doing physio 3-4 times a day and is such a cheerful chap. He’s always up on the exercise ball with a smile. He even does some ‘walking’ in a harness with support from us (and some extra encouragement in the form of treats!)
Best buds Derek and Rupert
One of the best things to see has been his new friendship with Rupert, our other beautiful new lamb resident. Seeing them together - safe, loving, warm - it is hard to imagine their futures if they had not been rescued by the amazing Coppershell farm and Farm Animal Rescue Sanctuary.
It is likely Derek would have been quickly ‘disposed’ when his defects were noticed, or left to die unnoticed. As for Rupert he could have ended up as someone’s Easter dinner meal.
Your donations allow this pair a chance at life. We are currently sitting with a bill over £3500 for Derek’s treatment, with more to come. But we won’t give up on him. The Surge Sanctuary is entirely donation funded. You can donate to our Derek fundraiser here or make a more general donation to our sanctuary here, choosing a one time or monthly payment depending on what you can afford.
Every single penny makes a difference to a resident’s life.
Keep updated with Derek and Rupert via our Instagram, where we will soon be positing snippets from Derek’s physio!
Devon Docherty is a Surge Media intern and masters student in Human-Animal Interactions, working towards improving the lives of animals and humanity’s connection to them. Interested in psychology, rewilding and increasing the animal rights perspective in academia. Find Devon on LinkedIn.