Buddy
Medium Hampshire Dwarf Sheep
Buddy’s Story
Less than one year old, Buddy the lamb was scheduled to be part of the “terminal show” at the Austin Rodeo. In a terminal show, all animals entered are judged on “conformation and quality,” and then mandatorily sent to slaughter after the event—either immediately or via a designated buyer.
No one, including the exhibitor (often a child or teen in 4-H or Future Farmers of America), can take the animal home afterward.
The practice conditions young people to think of animals as food, not friends, and reinforces the normalization of killing innocent beings in our food system.
Buddy was surrendered by the Vega Family to Rowdy Girl Sanctuary on March 19, 2025, exactly one day before he was scheduled to be slaughtered at the Austin Rodeo.
“He is a FFA Hampshire dwarf lamb and I thought we had a buyer to provide him with a forever home. That didn’t work out. We will never raise a livestock animal again knowing it will be a terminal show” said the FFA student’s mom.
The Vega family’s daughter was devastated to learn of Buddy’s fate. She will never raise livestock again or participate in the program. She stopped eating meat.
“I did like it while it (FFA) lasted but I couldn’t give up the animal because I really love him and he’s really sweet. I just couldn’t give him up. I feel like it’s really sad just leaving him there to get slaughtered.”
Rowdy Girl Sanctuary is on a mission to stop this senseless practice of cruelty and conditioning with our Families Choosing Compassion program.
As the Vega Family said, “We would like Buddy to live the rest of his life. He is such a good boy and likes to follow you around. He is a bit nosey and loves other animals. He likes to run and hop as high as he can.”
Now that the Vega Family is part of the Families Choosing Compassion program, they can visit Buddy any time. They can watch him grow up and thrive here at Rowdy Girl.
