Sarah, Shelley and Daisy, Western Shore, Nova Scotia
Identity: Female
Sarah speaks
‘I’ve never not had a dog. I think I understand the way that dogs navigate the world far better than I understand most people. Dogs just love unconditionally - they’re so much better than us.
Daisy was skinny, withdrawn and scared of just about everything when she first arrived at the farm. We don’t know what happened to her, but clearly something did. You don’t end up like that if you feel safe, and of course it’s the same for us too. I think as queer people, we haven’t always felt safe in the past which every so often can creep in to how we react to the present.
Now that Daisy has settled in to her new family the fear seems to have mostly disappeared. She still has her moments, and of course, we would expect that. Healing isn’t linear for any of us. Daisy really is one of a kind - everyone that meets her comments on it. She doesn’t really behave like a dog, but that’s what makes us love her even more and no-one is thrown out here for not fitting the mold, we take everyone just as they are. Both myself and Shelley still have our battles with mental health issues and whilst Daisy is a huge source of support and healing for us we still need other support systems too.
Knowing how much animals can have such a transformative impact on people’s mental health was one of the reasons that we set up the Little Silly Goose Farm as a therapy farm. All of the animals here are rescues. No animal is thrown out for not fitting in or being as it should be - if only we could learn to live that We offer private and group guided tours for people and children who could benefit from spending time with our animals - pot belly pigs, goats, chicken, horses, and of course, Daisy.'