Llamas Sven and Sweetheart came to us from a home where they were well loved, but their owner passed away, and the family member who took over the herd needed to downsize to something manageable.

Our llama Wally has been on his own since we lost his pasture buddy Leonardo due to old age, so we had been keeping our eye out for him when these two came along! We think they'll be great company for Wally, so we need to get these new buddies healthy and out to the pasture with him as soon as we can. Right now Sven and Sweetheart are in quarantine, the first stage of our intake process. Their vet checkup is scheduled for October 28th.

Each of them needs a fecal test ($55) and a vet exam ($80), so $270 covers both. The bigger cost is their dental exams and any subsequent treatments. They’re both eating, but their dental issues are more serious looking, and Sweetheart’s jaw doesn’t look right which is possibly connected to his dental problems. Both of them also have gait issues we want the vet to look at. Dental work on a llama can easily run into the thousands.

We’ve set a goal of $1,000 to start, and I’ll update it once we have the vet’s numbers. Anything beyond the $270 goes straight to their dental and gait care, and if we raise more than they need, it will go to a fund for their shearing and vaccinations in the Spring.

About Four Roots Ranch

Four Roots Ranch is a family-run animal sanctuary in Bend, Oregon. We care mostly for alpacas and llamas, along with a few sheep, goats, and other farm animals who needed a safe place to land. Most of our residents are seniors.

In 2017, we took in twenty rescue alpacas, thinking we were just giving them a soft place to settle. They became family almost immediately, and the work grew from there. We became a 501(c)(3) in 2019. Today more than 100 animals live here, and we’re one of the largest sanctuaries in the U.S. dedicated to alpacas and llamas.

The animals who come to us are often older, disabled, or overlooked. Some come from hard situations. Some, like Sven and Sweetheart, come from families who loved them but couldn’t keep them. However they arrive, they get the same thing here: steady care and a home for the rest of their lives.

Thank you for helping us welcome these two home.

Kate - Four Roots Ranch Animal Sanctuary

Help us welcome Sven and Sweetheart home

Dental care, fecal tests, and more