The Latest — September 4, 2026

Five Sheep. One Goat. All Safe.

After months of trying to reach them, catch them and get them the care they needed, all five sheep and Maurice have been safely captured.

The sheep were professionally sheared, everyone passed their veterinary examinations, and all six are now resting comfortably in their new home.

Sean didn't get to make this trip.

But without Sean, none of them would have.

Chapter One

The Call That Started It All

When our volunteers first encountered Sean, he was down, weak and carrying a severely overgrown, matted fleece.

He was removed from the property and taken for emergency veterinary care. Volunteers continued supportive care afterward — offering water, food, shade, fans and comfort while doing everything possible to give him a chance.

Sean's problems went beyond his fleece. His overall condition and a serious chronic leg problem ultimately left him with a poor quality of life. The final kindness we could give him was relief from his suffering.

We couldn't save Sean. But Sean led us back to animals we could help.

Sean during supportive care after the original call.

The remaining sheep were carrying years of fleece.

Chapter Two

Sean Wasn't Alone

Returning to the property revealed a much larger problem. Several more sheep were living with extraordinarily overgrown coats. There was also Maurice the goat, ducks, cats and a dog named Brodie.

Access and handling were difficult. The animals had little experience being calmly handled by people, and removing frightened livestock safely was not something we wanted to turn into a chase.

Later, after the animal owner's sister obtained power of attorney while he was hospitalized, we were given regular access to the property. That gave us something incredibly valuable: time to earn the animals' trust.

Chapter Three

Bring the Good Stuff

The animals had not been receiving an appropriate balanced diet. Their feeding had relied heavily on corn rather than the forage-based, nutritionally balanced diet sheep require.

Corn can be used as one ingredient in a properly managed ration, but it is not a complete sheep diet by itself. Sheep need adequate forage, protein, minerals and vitamins, and abrupt or excessive grain feeding can create serious digestive and nutritional problems.

So we started showing up with better food.

Twice a day, every day, the sheep began seeing the same people. At first they kept their distance. Then they watched. Then they approached.

Soon, the people who once meant uncertainty became the people who brought “the good stuff.”

Trust is being built one visit — and one meal — at a time.

Brodie went from hiding to becoming our official welcoming committee.

And Then There's Brodie

Learning That He's a Very, Very Good Boy

At first Brodie hid inside the deteriorated trailer that had been his home with the owner. With repeated visits, that changed.

Before long, Brodie was looking forward to seeing us and became the unofficial Official Welcomer whenever volunteers arrived.

Our first priority was getting him to a veterinarian. But first came something completely new: a collar.

The first time it went on, Brodie froze — head down, refusing to move, acting as though he expected something bad to happen. So nothing was forced. For several days he was reassured that the collar meant no harm.

Then the collar occasionally became attached to a leash.

Let the rodeo begin.

Again, patience won. A few days later Brodie was ready for a car ride and his new foster home.

Hardwood Floors: Obviously Lava

Life in a house brought a new list of mysteries. Hardwood floors were clearly lava pits. Carpets were safe islands. Stairs were also highly questionable.

The rule stayed the same: no forcing. When Brodie was ready to try, someone was there to remind him: “You're a very, very good boy.”

A leash was once terrifying. It became another step toward a much bigger world.

Brodie's first real veterinary workup

Brodie received a full examination, vaccinations, neutering, a microchip, bloodwork and medication. His blood test was positive for antibodies associated with Lyme disease. An antibody-positive test shows exposure to the organism; it does not by itself prove that a dog is currently ill. Brodie is receiving antibiotic treatment under veterinary supervision.

Veterinary cost so far: approximately $1,100.

This is where your donations go.

ONGOING — NEXT PHASE

The Rescue Isn't Over

Next: Make the Trailer a Safe Place

This weekend, the livestock trailer goes back to the property — but not for an immediate capture.

We're going to normalize it. Feed around it. Spend time around it. Feed inside it. The goal is to let the sheep and Maurice learn that the trailer is just another safe place.

Once they are comfortable entering and being enclosed, the next phase begins: shearing away years of accumulated fleece.

After shearing, each animal will receive a physical examination and any veterinary care that is needed. From there, the goal is appropriate permanent placement.

We are currently talking with interested people regarding placement of the sheep, and we are also working toward placement for the ducks.

The next chapter: safe loading, shearing, veterinary evaluation and placement.

The rescue extends beyond the sheep and Brodie.

Every Animal on the Property Matters

Ducks — and the Cats We Haven't Forgotten

The ducks are also part of the placement effort.

Feral/community cats on the property will be humanely trapped and spayed or neutered through the Humane Society of Greene County's spay/neuter program.

One property. Sheep. A goat. A dog. Ducks. Cats.

Every one of them matters.

Chapter Four — September 4, 2026

The Day We'd Been Working Toward

After months of false starts, escaped sheep, improvised fencing, baling twine, zip ties, sweet feed, apples, wasp stings and one particularly stubborn Larry, everybody was finally where they needed to be.

All five sheep — and Maurice — were safely contained.

It was finally haircut day.

Years of accumulated fleece made it clear just how badly this day was needed.

Grant Jennings made a very difficult job look almost routine.

Enter Grant Jennings.

The shearing went flawlessly.

Grant was amazing. Patient, skilled and remarkably good with a group of sheep who hadn't exactly spent their lives practicing proper salon etiquette.

Watching him work made something that had worried us for months look almost routine.

I'd recommend Grant to anyone.
Even if they don't have sheep.

And Look What Was Underneath.

As the enormous coats came off one after another, we finally got a good look at the animals underneath all that fleece.

Behind them grew a pile of wool that made it very clear just how badly this day had been needed.

Layer by layer, years of accumulated fleece finally came off.

Five freshly shorn sheep — and a pile of fleece that tells its own story.

But underneath it were the animals we'd spent months trying to reach.

And they looked good.

Then Came the Next Test.

After everything we'd been through trying to catch this crew, loading them into the livestock trailer could have turned into another adventure.

Instead, the sheep loaded with relative ease.

We'll take the win.

Underneath all that fleece: a healthy sheep and a brand-new look.

From there, the five sheep and Maurice went for their veterinary examinations.

And finally came the news we'd been hoping to hear: everyone checked out fine.

Five sheep. One goat.
All healthy. All safe.

Haircuts complete.
Veterinary examinations complete.
Trailer ride complete.

Tonight, all six are resting comfortably in their new home.

Sean didn't get to make this trip.

But without Sean, none of them would have.

What Rescue Actually Looks Like

Two Trips a Day. Every Day.

The Humane Society of Greene County is an all-volunteer organization. There is no paid rescue crew making these trips.

2 trips to the property
each day

~50 volunteer-driven miles
each day

~350 miles each week
for this case alone

Those miles are in volunteers' personal vehicles, and the fuel and vehicle expense frequently comes directly out of volunteers' own pockets.

Then add feed, veterinary treatment, medications, spay/neuter procedures, transportation, animal-handling equipment and whatever unexpected need comes next.

Your donation doesn't disappear into an organization. It turns into food, medicine, veterinary care and another trip down the road.

This Is Where Your Donations Go.

Sean didn't get the ending we wanted for him. But his story didn't end with him. Brodie is starting a new life. The sheep are learning to trust. Maurice is waiting for the next delivery of “the good stuff.” The trailer is coming. The shears are coming. Veterinary exams and new homes are ahead.

The rescue isn't over. Follow along — we'll keep telling you what happens next.

Help Us Help Them

Humane Society of Greene County, Ohio — independent nonprofit, run by volunteers.