Today is National Hug A Sheep Day. Why would you want to hug a sheep, you might ask? For starters, they are adorable, soft, warm and fuzzy. If you have dry skin, the lanolin in their fleece will be helpful. More than that, they provide wool and meat for us – so they really do deserve some hugs.
In the mid 1990s, my 16-year-old nephew Jeff was living with our family and working on a sheep farm up the road. He came home one day and asked if he could bring an orphaned sheep home because it was just going to die as no other ewe was accepting it. As his mother had died the year before, I knew it was really important for him to care for this orphan, so I immediately said, “Of course!” (much to the chagrin of my husband Dan).
Our three boys, ages five to nine, were thrilled to be getting a new “pet.” The farmer brought the lamb and milk replacer that day and all four boys decided her name would be Daisy. Having no barn, shed or even a fenced in area at the time to keep this lamb, she stayed in the house. The first night we put her in the bathroom. We soon realized she was having none of being alone and found ourselves taking turns sleeping with her in the bathroom. It was like camping, complete with a sleeping bag, and the boys just loved when it was their turn to stay with Daisy.
At the time we had a greenhouse, so I was home all day. Daisy would follow me wherever I went, occasionally getting in trouble, but mostly just being a sweet companion. Even our dogs loved her.
Feeding Daisy was never a problem. The boys all eagerly wanted to do it and she was growing quickly – so quickly that we soon realized we might not be the best home for her. But Jeff didn’t want to give her back to the farmer, as she would have gone for meat.
While looking for more milk replacer one day, we stumbled across a couple that had a pet sheep and they were looking for a companion for her. We talked it over with the boys that night and they all knew this would be the best place for her. The next day we said our goodbyes and packed her up in the station wagon to bring her to her new home.
While Daisy only stayed with us for a short time, we were happy to be able to rescue her and give her a good start on her new life. We learned some valuable lessons about caring for an orphaned animal: responsibility, compassion, altruism and, most importantly, that tile floors in a bathroom are a wonderful thing.
Hug a sheep? You bet we would!
By Joan Kark-Wren
