My volunteer , Laura and I cuddled the little guy in the stall and he enjoyed back scratches , and rooting through the straw , the first time he has probably been able to play in his small , traumatic life . Later , as Laura and I cleaned the chicken coop and de - loused the hens , we could hear Rusty snorting and banging against the stall door , wanting company . I put him back in with Wilma and Willow and he contentedly found a soft place in the straw , and closed his little eyes . Near dusk I spent even more time with Rusty , mixing up some food for him .

Question: What might have happened for the author and Laura to be there taking care of neglected animal ?
Answer: The place is not a farm but an animal shelter for farm animals that are no longer wanted or are taken from their own owners for not caring for them properly .None of the above choices .The author bought the farm , named the animals , but needed a volunteer to help him catch up on cleaning the hen house and playing with them .The farm belonged to some people who neglected the animals out of ignorance or laziness .