About Us
No Animal Is Left Behind.
At Besida, we believe in providing a home for livestock with heart. Our journey is built on compassion, education, and a commitment to treating animals with dignity and respect. We are here to change perspectives.
Our mission is to create awareness around ethical farming and humane livestock care. Whether they are goats, sheep, or donkeys, we believe that every animal deserves a good life, regardless of their purpose. Through responsible farming, natural remedies, and a deep respect for the land and its creatures, we aim to set a new standard—one where agriculture and kindness go hand in hand.
Meet The Team
Our Story
From The Directors Souls
Being from completely different worlds, we never thought our souls and destinies would connect
over something as traumatic as a young goat ewe that was struggling to give birth. We were looking
after her for someone else. She was an incredibly young girl, far too young to have babies. That day
this young ewe got her name, Diamond. Sadly, she did not survive her labor, despite our best efforts
along with the input of a veterinarian. From that tragedy rose the motivation and drive to ensure that
no other animal we came across would suffer the same fate.
Days and nights of research made us think that we were destined to be ethical farmers and that we
would build healthy and happy herds until that fateful day we looked into Devante’s eyes. A ten-day
old sheep-lamb alone in an auction pen without his mother in sight. He was dehydrated, scared and
ready to give up on his short-lived life. No words were needed or exchanged that day, we looked at
each other and knew that we would do whatever necessary to take that lamb home with us and give
him a chance at life.
Going home with our little lamb in the car that afternoon, Besida Animal Sanctuary was born. Besida,
meaning “as destiny dictates”, was the first and only name that resonated. We knew that we were
destined to be the voice of those animals that are rarely noticed; the commercial animals that are
only seen for their use to humans. We knew that from that moment on, our only goal would be to
help livestock and aim to educate those that do not know enough about their health and emotional
needs. We are certain that by spreading our knowledge about, and love for these animals, we will
instill the same feelings in other people who encounter us and them. We know that anyone who
could be with these animals, even for just a few minutes, will see and experience the sparkle these
exceptional beings have.
The Reason We Started
Devantè aka Dev/Devi/Mr. Sheep – the little boy who breathed life into Besida!
One Saturday morning, at an auction where we often find the sick and neglected, our eyes landed on a young lamb, barely 10 days old. He was a frantic blur, darting through the aisles, slipping into cages with ewes, desperate to nurse, only to be roughly pushed away. It baffled us; a lamb and its mother should be inseparable. A closer look revealed the ewe he clung to wasn't his mother at all – no udder, no milk, yet they were inexplicably marked as a pair. As the hours dragged on, the tiny lamb grew visibly weary, dehydrated, and desperately in need of nourishment. When their lot was called, the farmer disavowed any knowledge of his mother, and no one wanted him. A bottle-fed lamb, they mused, had little chance of a healthy future.
There was no hesitation in our hearts; this little soul was in dire need. For years, we had been rescuing animals, nurturing a dream of officially opening a sanctuary. We never imagined that on the morning of August 3, 2024, the sheer vulnerability of this one small lamb would become the undeniable catalyst, the absolute certainty that the time was now. Not another minute would be spared. Besida Animal Sanctuary was about to be born. We christened our Mr. Sheep Devantè and raced home to offer him life. He drank immediately, relished every cuddle, and was, quite simply, the sweetest boy. Little did Devantè know, this tiny, desperate creature, this mere whisper of a life, would become the pivotal force, transforming a lifelong dream into the tangible reality of a sanctuary. His physical smallness at that moment belied the immense legacy he was about to create.
Devi struggled with scours, dehydration, a cobalt deficiency, and urinary calculi—all before four months of age. He truly tested our skills, yet he never lost his zest for life, his curiosity in his surroundings, or his bouncy smile. When he was big enough to meet the goats, he formed an unlikely, deep friendship with one—a rare occurrence, as sheep and goats are said not to "speak the same language." He has been an exception to every rule. Not only did he grow, but he blossomed into a magnificent 65kg ram, and he's still growing, not even a year old yet as of this writing. In spite of his very concerning start to life, he hasn't just survived; he has profoundly flourished. And make no mistake, he can be stubborn, mischievous, single-minded, and a magnificent mass of challenge. But his love for his goat friend, his affection for
humans, and his willingness to be bribed with apples for a touch of cooperation remain.
This magnificent boy irrevocably and spectacularly changed our lives. But his impact stretches far beyond that. This fateful meeting with Devantè wasn't just a turning point; it was destiny unfolding, the very spark that ignited Besida and set us on our true path. His story became the defining purpose, creating a ripple effect that will touch countless lives. Every animal that walks through our gates, every rescue undertaken, will be a living testament to the tiny lamb who started it all. He will leave an immense, living legacy, woven into the very fabric of Besida.
