Pixie the calf was born perfect -- but when her fellow calves started walking, she got left behind. She was different. Her knees were permanently bent because of a crippling deformity. The calf couldn't even flattened her hooves on the ground.
A dairy worker took pity on the calf, who barely totters on her tiptoes. The concerned person reached out to Australian farm sanctuary Edgar's Mission.
Pixie arrived at her new home last week. She was already 6 weeks old at that time, and her condition has taken its toll.
"Her legs are a disaster," Pam Ahern, founder of Edgar's Mission, said in a video of the calf's arrival. "They're a lot worse than what I thought they were."
The hair at the back of Pixie's legs and tails were also scalding. As days went by, Pixie was melting the heart of everyone at the center. Not only was she determined to stand up and walk, she was also very affectionate.
"She wants to live," said Ahern.
Pixie's new family have been doing their best to improve her health. The calf is being bottle-fed and her legs are carefully being stretched.
The vet who visited Pixia concluded that her legs, and even shoulders, were too tight.
While the animal's condition is difficult, the sanctuary's team will continue to enhance Pixie's leg condition through splints, injections, toe extensions, physiotherapy and love.
Looking at the brighter side, Ahern appreciates the condition she's in. Had she been born normal, she would have faced a life of constant breeding and eventually get killed for meat.
Those who wish to make a contribution for Pixie and the other animals at Edgar's Mission can make a donation through the sanctuary's website.
Something about Pixie - Day 1 from Edgar's Mission Farm Sanctuary on Vimeo.
