From rescued to rehomed: Jigglypuff and the power of friendship

If you asked Jigglypuff, she’d probably tell you that the start of her SPCA journey was an annoying one. She’d been living alone in an overgrown paddock, with a full hill of grass to herself and no other sheep to share with. Sure, she’d grown a bit too overweight for comfort, and could have probably used a haircut. Fine, she could admit that it was nice when the friendly neighbour from next door checked on her occasionally. And, okay, she was experiencing a few more aches and pains than usual. But mostly, Jigglypuff was living a solo, unbothered life!

It all came crashing down, however, when said friendly neighbour called SPCA. They’d been caring for Jigglypuff for a year since she’d been abandoned and were worried about her health, which they’d noticed had been declining. Thus, the life of a bachelorette came to an end for Jigglypuff, and she was transferred to our Māngere Centre for treatment.

Upon meeting Jigglypuff, our farm team noticed two things straight away. Firstly, she was severely overgrown and overweight, with her legs bowing painfully underneath her. She’d need immediate intervention – in the form of a haircut and a weight loss plan – to improve her quality of life.

Secondly, she was not a fan of people. Going from a quiet, solitary life to a busy SPCA Centre environment had clearly been jarring for the sheep, who rebuffed any attempts at affection. She steered clear of everyone who came near her and turned her nose up at the prospect of treats or pats. Our team knew she’d need some time to settle in.

But one day, Farm Attendant Brandi needed to move her to a different paddock. She tried everything from treat bribery to clapping to gentle pushing, but Jigglypuff remained stoic. Shaking her head, Brandi took a step outside of the paddock to think about a new tactic – and, to her surprise, so did Jigglypuff.

So Brandi took another step.

And so did Jigglypuff.

It was like a switch had been flipped; Jigglypuff had decided that her era of solitude was over, and she was ready to make some friends. “Suddenly she wouldn’t leave any of us alone,” Brandi tells us. “She wasn’t scared anymore; she just wanted to follow everyone around!”

Whether it was curiosity or a desire for a genuine connection that changed her mind – or the thought that, actually, the treats being offered looked pretty good – Jigglypuff was a new sheep.She trotted happily after our Farm team as they went about their days, becoming a constant sidekick to their work. No farm tasks were accomplished without Jigglypuff by their side – unless they had to put a gate up for safety reasons, which would result in a baleful stare from their excluded shadow.

Jigglypuff’s newfound friendliness also made her weight loss journey easier. Our Farm Attendants simply had to run around the paddocks, and, not wanting to be left behind, she would follow. Between a proper diet and her new favourite workout regiment, she lost 10kg in our care, relieving the aches and pains she’d surely been feeling!

Jigglypuff’s next challenge was to make some non-human friends. She was wary of other sheep and acted like a “grumpy old lady” to most of the other farm animals in our care, and our team wondered if perhaps she was just the brooding, solitary type when it came to her peers.So when they added a chicken coop to her paddock one afternoon, they expected her to show no interest in her new neighbour.

But Jigglypuff, as ever, was full of surprises. They arrived the next morning to find her sitting next to the fence of the chicken coop – with the chicken sitting on the other side!

Jigglypuff may not have been the biggest fan of other animals, but she was clearly thick as thieves with her new hen pal. She continued to befriend the various chickens she met at SPCA; our team often found her sitting with them or following them around the yard.

Once she'd reached a healthier weight, she was ready for adoption. Enter Patricia, who fell in love with Jigglypuff – and three of her SPCA neighbours, Joaquin and Marietta the goats and Hetti the chicken!

“They are all doing well,” Patricia tells us. “Jiggly is still not keen to be with the other sheep but is happy to hang out with us and the goats – particularly Joaquin and Marietta, who have made friends with everyone in the farm.”

“They are all lovely animals and super cuddly. We love them to bits!”

Jigglypuff may have felt destined for a life of solitude, but the power of friendship broke through her hard outer shell. The love of her care team, chicken friends, and new family have made all the difference in her life. We’re so pleased to see her thriving!

Could you add to your whānau and bring home a farm animal in need? Head to our site to meet your very own Jigglypuff today.