Located in Providence, North Carolina, Ziggy’s Refuge is a nonprofit animal sanctuary that rescues abused animals and provides them with the home they deserve. They shared a video of their disabled sheep named Kiki learning how to drive a motorized wheelchair so she could move around, and it’s giving us all the feels.
Watch on to see Kiki sit in the wheelchair for the first time and learn how to operate it. It doesn’t take long for her to figure it out and start practicing going forward and backward. She’s getting her freedom back, and that makes everybody cheer her on!
@ziggysrefuge Y’all have had so many questions about Kiki, so let’s clear a few things up! 1️⃣ How long did it take Kiki to learn to drive her wheelchair? LESS. THAN. AN. HOUR. Yep, this girl was cruising the farm like she owned the place in under 60 minutes. 2️⃣ Was she born disabled? Yes. Kiki contracted a neurological virus called Cache Valley in the womb, which affects brain function and can cause seizures. But thanks to her incredible momma Debbie, she’s overcome so much and now she’s the first farm animal ever to drive a vehicle. (Yes, you read that right.) And y’all… she’s not just disabled. She’s not just overcoming neurological challenges. She’s SMART. Because of her special needs, she’s spent her life playing with children’s toys, light-up games, and interactive puzzles and it’s helped her learn English, recognize full sentences, and understand everything her family tells her. 3️⃣ “You should euthanize her.” Thousands of those comments have poured in almost exclusively from farmers. And you know what? That mindset is exactly why we keep sharing stories like Kiki’s. Just because a life isn’t profitable doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. She proves them wrong every single day. Kiki doesn’t live here at Ziggy’s Refuge she’s our goddaughter, and we adore her whole family. Debbie and Barbara have created a life for her that’s nothing short of miraculous. And together, we’re dreaming up wheelchair options for other animals, like our Moko 🐑💙. Because when one life is given the chance to thrive, it opens the door for so many more. Animals like Kiki, Journey, and Moko matter. Their lives matter. Their joy matters. And if a disabled, neurologically challenged sheep can learn to drive a vehicle, maybe it’s time we rethink why we think we’re so superior to them. Thank y’all for loving Kiki. She’s got one hell of a team behind her. 🐑✨ Follow @dontforgetuspetus to watch this little girl’s incredible life unfold. We’ll be cheering her on, every step (and wheel spin) of the way.
♬ Positive background music such as play and games(1251730) – earbrojp
Kiki was a pro at operating her new wheelchair in just an hour – that’s incredible! Ziggy’s Refuge said in the video’s caption, “this girl was cruising the farm like she owned the place in under 60 minutes.” Go, Kiki, go!
Viewers left more than 2,500 comments praising Kiki, and her humans. @Krystia shared, “Wow she is an impressive little girl!!! And look how happy she is!!!” @Chancesgmom added, “The tail wag does it for me!”
@lil_miss_peanut spoke for all of us when she said, “I love people like you so much you have no idea.”
Related: Disabled Macaw’s Mom Helps Her With ‘Assisted Flying’ in Heartwarming Video
More About Kiki the Disabled Sheep
Ziggy’s said that people had lots of questions about Kiki the sheep, so they shared the answers.
“Was she born disabled?
Yes. Kiki contracted a neurological virus called Cache Valley in the womb, which affects brain function and can cause seizures. But thanks to her incredible momma Debbie, she’s overcome so much and now she’s the first farm animal ever to drive a vehicle. (Yes, you read that right.)
And y’all… she’s not just disabled. She’s not just overcoming neurological challenges. She’s SMART. Because of her special needs, she’s spent her life playing with children’s toys, light-up games, and interactive puzzles and it’s helped her learn English, recognize full sentences, and understand everything her family tells her.”
Many people left similar comments saying, “You should euthanize her.”
Ziggy’s responded with, “Thousands of those comments have poured in almost exclusively from farmers. And you know what? That mindset is exactly why we keep sharing stories like Kiki’s. Just because a life isn’t profitable doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable. She proves them wrong every single day.”
They end with, “Animals like Kiki, Journey, and Moko matter. Their lives matter. Their joy matters. And if a disabled, neurologically challenged sheep can learn to drive a vehicle, maybe it’s time we rethink why we think we’re so superior to them.”