Since he was a child, Lee Asher dreamed of founding an animal sanctuary. And now that he finally has, he’s had the immense pleasure of befriending all kinds of incredible animals.
When a llama named Franky made his way to his sanctuary, Lee tried all kinds of tactics to show him that he was trustworthy. But it wasn’t until he played “hard to get” that Franky was willing to give him a chance.
Franky the Llama was found by a friend of Lee’s at a livestock auction after he was surrendered by his previous owner. And because she was so sure that Lee would want to take Franky in, she brought him all the way to Asher House herself.
His friend was right, and Lee instantly fell in love with Franky. The only problem was Franky wasn’t very fond of him.
Whether it was how he was previously treated or simply because he was abandoned, Franky was skeptical. So Lee spent tons of time observing him and chilling with him in his pen. But Franky was still so unsure.
“I really just started slow, inching my way closer and closer to him every single day. Really letting him know I wasn’t a threat. But the biggest thing was being patient with him,” explained Lee.
But even though Franky seemed to have little interest in getting to know his new dad, it still didn’t deter Lee in the least. He was absolutely determined to help Franky learn to trust him. He remained confident that one day, Franky would love him as much as he loved Franky. Somehow, he remained sure that they would eventually be best friends.
“My biggest thing was just for him to feel comfortable and safe around me. I just wanted him to eat out of my hand,” said Lee.
Eventually, after all the effort, he decided not to ignore him per-se, but to let Franky be and allow him to do his own thing. He decided to play hard to get.
But apparently, some space is all Franky really needed to open up. Because not long after that, it finally happened. Franky finally decided to eat out of Lee’s hand! After that exciting afternoon, Lee knew something had changed between them. He was officially in Franky’s circle of trust!
You can check out an awesome video of Franky’s story and his first time trusting Lee enough to eat from his hand below. To keep up with Franky, Lee, and his entire sanctuary of rescue animals, you can follow them on their Facebook page.
Featured Image: Facebook
Toledo, United States.
