Meet Vera.

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Vera was born on 9 September 2025, on a sheep farm where her life was shaped by decisions made long before she had a chance to stand on her own four legs.

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At just three weeks old, Vera’s tail was docked with a knife. This is a legal and common practice in Australia, because sheep are classified as livestock, not as individuals protected by the same cruelty laws that apply to dogs or cats. What followed was devastating.

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Three days later, Vera was found unable to walk. The docking had caused severe nerve damage to her back legs, and a fierce infection had entered her body through the open wound. By the time she reached us a week later, the infection had travelled through her bloodstream and settled in her joints, causing catastrophic damage.

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Vera’s front elbow joint had been completely destroyed.

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There was only one way to save her life. Amputation.

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For any animal, losing a leg is a life altering event. For a lamb already living with nerve damage in her back legs, the decision was even harder. But Vera made her choice clear. From the very beginning, she showed an unmistakable will to live. Not a quiet endurance, but a fierce, undeniable passion for life, whatever shape that life might take.

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Vera’s front leg was amputated, and her journey of healing began. And it has not been simple. Despite multiple surgeries, the infection has continued to fight back. Vera continues to battle a bacteria we have rarely seen matched for its persistence.

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And still, she keeps going.

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As of the start of 2026, Vera uses a four wheel wheelchair to move through the world. She is about to begin professional physiotherapy to help her make the most of the mobility she has, building strength and confidence on her own terms. When she is closer to fully grown, we hope to work with Bionic Pets to create a custom mobility cart designed just for her body.

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Vera refuses to be defined by what she has lost. She greets each day with curiosity, determination, and joy. She adapts. She pushes forward. She reminds us, again and again, that life is not measured by perfection, but by the will to live it.

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At Little Oak Sanctuary, Vera will never be asked to endure pain for profit or convenience. She will be supported every step of the way, for as long as she needs. By supporting Vera, you help ensure she has access to the specialised care, equipment, and ongoing treatment she requires to keep choosing life, boldly and unapologetically.