Woman Visits Graveyard Every Day To Convince Terrified Sheep To Trust Her

When Woodstock Farm Sanctuary got a call about a sheep living on her own in Beacon, New York, they were immediately concerned — and they became even more worried when they realized the place she was living was a cemetery.

WOODSTOCK FARM SANCTUARY

The poor sheep, later named Oracle, lived in the cemetery for at least a month and had been on her own for even longer. She was terrified of people and ran away anytime anyone tried to get close to her. Despite her fear, her rescuers never gave up. They were determined to get Oracle to safety.

“I don’t know where she came from or how long she traveled to get to the cemetery,” Rachel of Woodstock Farm Sanctuary told The Dodo. “Part of why I’m so worried is we’re right by this area in Beacon where there are a lot of coyotes.”

WOODSTOCK FARM SANCTUARY

The cemetery is only fenced in on three sides and is located along a busy road, all factors that put Oracle at risk. They knew it could take time to earn her trust, so they got to work right away. A few volunteers who lived near the cemetery pitched in to help, visiting Oracle to desensitize her to people and setting up a feeding station for her. This eventually led to the creation of a concrete rescue plan.

WOODSTOCK FARM SANCTUARY

Every day, Oracle’s feeding station was moved a little closer to a trailer provided by the sanctuary. Eventually, this led to Oracle exploring the trailer — until one day she wandered inside, and her rescuers were able to close the door safely behind her.

“The plan worked,” Rachel said.

WOODSTOCK FARM SANCTUARY

Oracle was transported to Woodstock Farm Sanctuary, where the team prepared to check her over and get her settled in. They all knew Oracle would be terrified, so they tried to be as gentle and soothing as they could.

WOODSTOCK FARM SANCTUARY

“She’s definitely one of the most fearful animals we’ve rescued,” Rachel said. “But she’s slowly settling in and getting used to the space.”

WOODSTOCK ANIMAL SANCTUARY

Since arriving at the sanctuary, Oracle has made so much progress. She was introduced to the rest of the rescued sheep and fit in almost immediately. She’ll get to live out the rest of her life with all her new friends, and everyone is so grateful that she’s finally safe.