Costailo, Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah
Abbott, Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah
January finds me reflecting on the sanctuary I visited that made the possibility of creating the Yoga Animalia Project a very real idea: Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, located within the metro area of Salt Lake City, Utah. I'll share that story in greater depth in a later post, but for now I want to introduce you to two of my sheep friends I think about often and with whom I wish I could be bounding about the Utah sanctuary grounds regularly: please allow me to introduce you to Costailo and Abbott.
These boys stole my heart from our first meeting when Costailo posed like a pro for photos, and Abbott demanded attention so closely that it was my second visit to the sanctuary before I managed a decent capture of his charming character. I could spend hours with these sociable boys, and I’m sure they would let me spend the bulk of that time snuggling, or rather, demand I spend that time snuggling with them. Abbott and Costailo are some of the first sanctuary residents whom I met that showed me I could visit a sanctuary as a new visitor and still connect strongly with individuals residing there - a key element of the Yoga Animalia Project.
Yoga Animalia: Ovine - Abbott & Costailo
Ching Farm Rescue & Sanctuary, Herriman, Utah
Originally up for grabs as “grain fed lambs” for a Thanksgiving meal, brothers Abbott & Costailo were saved and brought to sanctuary. Grain can be highly damaging to a ruminant’s stomach over time, but it makes them fat much more quickly than their natural grass diet, and thus producers usually choose profit over the well being of the animals. Both these boys vie for the attention of guests, and it wouldn’t be surprising to turn and have a wooly face or leg bumping you and asking for scratches. These boys often act as greeters to visitors, unless they are too busy running around with their fellow sheep friends.