Helen was really bewildered the day she moved into her new house. Despite their best efforts to reassure her and make her feel at home, her rescuers' hearts broke for her because she had no idea where she was.
“When Helen first arrived, she was very upset,” founder and president of Uncle Neil's Home, Rian Feldman, said. “She is blind and had just been taken from the only environment she had known for 19 years. She wouldn’t eat [and] she didn’t move around much. So much was new to her — new voices, new food, new surroundings, new sounds, and smells. She was very uncomfortable and worried. She didn’t know if she was safe or not.”
The goal of Helen's new family was to make her understand that they were good people and that they loved her.
“We spent hours a day trying to show her that we loved her and that she was safe,” Feldman added. “We spoke very gently to her, used her name constantly, told her we loved her many times per day, and played music for her. We spent a lot of time with her so she didn’t feel alone, especially during the first few days. We also transformed her area and made it easier for her to get around since she isn’t able to see.”
Helen soon started returning all of that love; their efforts and dedication paid off.
Helen now gives her rescuers lots of hugs, kisses, and cuddles whenever she can. She never misses an opportunity to express to them her love and gratitude for this second chance.
“She always wants to be hugging and touching us. She adores us and we love her more than we ever knew we could love someone … She nearly knocks us over every day from hugging us with her head by wrapping us into her body and she licks our clothes constantly!” Feldman said.
Helen would bleat loudly for her rescuers until they rush over to correct the issue if she suddenly discovers she hasn't seen them in a while. They almost immediately start cuddling and kissing her once they are back at her side. Her transition has been delightful to witness as she moved from being terrified and perplexed to being happier than she's ever been.
Though Helen has only recently arrived at the refuge, her rescuers are already unable to imagine life without her.