On Tuesday when we went outside to feed the sheep we found that Old man Bernie was hiding in the barn and not coming out to eat - after checking him over, we quickly realized he wasn't feeling well and called Purdue vet hospital who advised us to bring him into their emergency department right away. 

Bernie had some initial tests run which led to finding a mass in his intestines. With Bernie's advanced age Surgery was a major risk and expense. Bernie was given medications, fluids and was on medical watch overnight. Bernie was stable throughout the night and this morning, sadly that was only due to the sedation medication. They did another ultrasound this morning and found the mass was attached to the intestine wall, leading them to believe it was cancer. The doctor let us know that they believed any treatment would be temporary and ultimately lead to having to come back in within a few days and go through this all over again. The final decision was to go ahead and put him to sleep then do a full necropsy on him to see if it is something we may be able to prevent for the others in the future. We are currently waiting on necropsy results and are doing our best to keep the rest of his heard in good spirits without their friend. This is not the outcome we had hoped for but we are so thankful for the opportunity to love Bernie and to give him an amazing last 3 years of his life, and to help him cross over to the other side with comfort and dignity. 

Bernie is one of many sheep rescued from a hoarding and neglect case in 2021. While at Belladonna, Bernie has enjoyed spending time with his heard and has known nothing but love. 

Getting Bernie to Purdue Emergency and continuing his care is an expense we were not prepared for and we still have over 15 other residents to care for on the sanctuary. The vet bill for his care, euthanasia, and necropsy is expected to be around $1,200.

Any donations to Bernie's medical bill is beyond appreciated.