Slowly, gingerly, Meadow the lamb stepped toward a crowd of visitors on Friday afternoon, his little pink hooves crunching on the golden hay of his pen. Surrounded by staff and onlookers at Wishing Well animal sanctuary in Bradford, Ont., the little lamb peered up at the beaming faces, looking rather sheepish — even for a sheep.

But who can blame him? Meadow had a busy week.

On Thursday, the roughly 6-month-old lamb was spared from his fate at a nearby meat-packing plant, thanks to an unusual agreement between plant staff and local animal rights activists.

Anita Krajnc, founder of animal rights group Toronto Pig Save, says Meadow’s journey to his new home started last Saturday during a “vigil” held by animal rights advocates from Aurora, which ended up on the site of Newmarket Meat Packers.

The group was “protesting and picketing” according to Nick D’Elia, co-owner of Newmarket Meat Packers.

Nomenclature aside, it all sparked a discussion, with the animal activists asking for just one lamb to be spared. To their surprise, the meat packing company agreed.

“We didn’t really fully believe that it was possible,” says Krajnc.

Less than a week later — and after about a hundred e-mails sent to D’Elia and his team from local animal activists — Newmarket Meat Packers made good on their promise. It was all in the spirit of Easter, D’Elia says.

Brenda Bronfman, founder of Wishing Well Sanctuary, joined a team from Toronto Pig Save to pick up the little lamb on Thursday morning. Meadow, as he’d later be named, was waiting for them in his own stall with some hay, thanks to staff at the plant.

“These gentleman were lovely … they were kind and respectful, and understood where we came from,” says Bronfman.

“It’s weird to say, but everybody was nervous when we all met to do the exchange,” says D’Elia. “They brought us a bag of gifts and invited us to come visit them on the Wishing Well Sanctuary.”

Meadow is now settling into his new home at the sanctuary, which houses more than 60 animals — including cows, goats, pot-bellied pigs, horses, ducks, and donkeys — on a sprawling 51-acre farm.

Bronfman says he’ll be in quarantine for over a week before joining the farm’s nine other sheep, but two-legged visitors are already welcome.

On Good Friday, the little white newcomer seemed to be enjoying the attention. While being petted by sanctuary volunteers as he basked in a splash of sunshine, Meadow leaned back and closed his eyes. Later, he made friends with another little Lam — one-and-a-half-year-old Ellora, the daughter of sanctuary visitors Toby and Elisabeth Lam from Ajax.

According to Bronfman, Meadow will be staying at the sanctuary for the rest of his life.

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Reflecting on how she wound up with her latest farm addition, Bronfman says the experience offered a different perspective.

“It was a reminder that this world is not just black and white,” she says. “There’s a lot of grey.”