No one knows when tragedy may happen, but those who help us through the darkest of times can become irreplaceable within our lives. They can help you to embrace a fresh start, or they may even become your chosen family who sticks around for a lifetime.
That pretty much sums up the story of a mother sheep named Eleanor who lost her children. After coming to live at Edgar’s Mission, a farmed animal sanctuary, she found familial love again after heartbreak with an orphaned lamb called Ohio. And their story is the definition of true love.
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Their story is beautiful! Edgar’s Mission (@edgarsmission) shared a video that captured different stages of Eleanor and Ohio’s journey to becoming a family. According to the video text captions, they explain, “Eleanor arrived after losing her twins and her ability to walk, but not her ability to love.”
Though, she wasn’t alone in losing a loved one. Little lamb Ohio lost his mother before arriving at the rescue, so it’s almost as if these two were destined to meet.
As more footage of the pair is shown, they relayed, “They supported each other and cared for each other through every challenge.” After three years, the bond between these two is stronger than ever.
Along with the love they have for each other, these two have have a community to care for now. The sanctuary ended the video saying, “Eleanor now runs with our main flock with her adoptive son leading the way.” They’ve come such a long way together!
Related: Golden Retriever Searching Each Day for Beloved Friend Who Passed Will Make You Sob
Reactions to This Chosen Family
When it came to Eleanor and Ohio’s story, TikTok viewers couldn’t contain themselves in the comments section. Many of them had to grab some tissues after watching this video like @allisondvis who said, “I’m sobbing over these two.”
They were in good company because @marzomber6 wrote, “Now I’m getting ready to go to bed with tears in my eyes. I’m so glad Eleanor is doing so good along with her adoptive son.”
@sarahkaylyn added, “And somewhere in heaven, Elenor’s twins are being fully loved and looked after by Ohio’s mama.”
Others like @simone.lofaro had words for the sanctuary. “Thank you for everything that you do,” they expressed to them. It’s stories like this that really touch our hearts. So thank you, Edgar’s Mission for sharing Eleanor and Ohio’s amazing journey to love after heartbreak.
This story was originally reported by PetHelpful on Nov 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.