Posted on May 06 2016
This story originally appeared in The Dodo, written by Zainab Akande:
Charity Spotlight: Farm Animal Rescue of Mifflinburg
Sparkle can be best described as a llama who's the true star of the Farm Animal Rescue of Mifflinburg in Pennsylvania.
FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OF MIFFLINBURG
Among her nine other herd members, she certainly sticks out with her unique white coat speckled with patches of brown.
FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OF MIFFLINBURG
It's also easy to spot her because it's more than likely you'll catch her cozying up to her best friend — a 6-year-old cat who's quite fond of rolling on her back for belly rubs ...
FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OF MIFFLINBURG
... or llama nuzzles.
FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OF MIFFLINBURG
Sparkle's just special like that.
"She runs permanently on Sparkle time," Roy Hernesh, executive director and farm manager of the rescue, told The Dodo. "Always sauntering along, [always] the last one to the feed bowls, the hay rack and last in the herd when moving from pasture to pasture — but she is not low in the pecking order, she is fairly dominant. She just is in no hurry to do anything at all."
FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OF MIFFLINBURG
Sparkle is also pretty selective about whom she allows to get close to her …
… but at the very least, the 9-year-old llama can always count on Rosie the cat to keep up with up with her.
FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OF MIFFLINBURG
Sparkle, along with the nine other llamas and Rosie, were originally all kept as pets on a small farm in Mill Hill, Pennsylvania. The owners of the farm often spent the months of October through May in Florida and hired a farmhand to care for Sparkle and her herd.
FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OF MIFFLINBURG
"This caused the owners great stress and concern all winter each year, so they decided to try and find a rescue that would take all 10 llamas, would promise not to re-home or otherwise separate the herd and would allow visits from the owners over the warm months," Hernesh said.
FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OF MIFFLINBURG
However, other organizations said they could only give sanctuary to a few of the llamas. When word reached Hernesh at the rescue, he decided to take in all 10 llamas, in addition to Rosie, who couldn't stand to be separated from her favorite llama — and vice versa.
FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OF MIFFLINBURG
"We actually thought [their friendship] might have been a little exaggerated by the prior owners in order to convince us to take Rosie, but they really are attached," Hernesh said.
FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OF MIFFLINBURG
In her previous home, Rosie, a stray, one day started to hang around the barn area of the farm and took to Sparkle just as quickly as Sparkle took to her.
FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OF MIFFLINBURG
Rosie, who used to be more of an aloof cat before arriving to the rescue, has also become more sociable with other animals beyond Sparkle and her llama herd.
FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OF MIFFLINBURG
"Rosie and Sparkle have a wonderful relationship that includes nuzzling and snuggling and cozying up during the winter months — they are quite a pair," Hernesh said.
You can follow Sparkle and Rosie's adventures on Facebook. Want to help the rescue continue making a difference in the lives of animals? Consider making a donation here.
FARM ANIMAL RESCUE OF MIFFLINBURG
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