Baby Lamb Suffered Neglect After Birth. Now She's Thriving Thanks to Some Very Special Caretakers (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Lamb named Porsche with no hooves.Photo:Edgar’s Mission

Edgar’s Mission

When Pam Ahern first encountered Porsche, a lamb missing her lower limbs, the little one was just 10 days old.

“It’s exceedingly rare for lambs to be born without hooves,” Ahern, 62, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “In all our years at Edgar’s Mission, we’ve only seen one other case — Charity, who is now a healthy adult sheep here. However, Porsche’s condition is more extreme, as she’s missing nearly everything below her knees.”

“My heart ached seeing her struggle, but it was clear she had the will to overcome,” she continues. “It was an extraordinary challenge, but one we could meet with love, care, and a bit of ingenuity.”

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Lamb named Porsche with no hooves.Edgar’s Mission

Nestled in the Macedon Ranges, Edgar’s Mission has a simple yet profound mission: to spread kindness and encourage people to expand their circle of compassion to include all animals. Through storytelling and sanctuary tours, staff provides opportunities for people to meet animals like Edgar and Porsche, who have so much personality and love to share.

“Porsche is a lamb whose spirit embodies everything we stand for at Edgar’s Mission,” Ahern says. “She’s incredibly sweet and affectionate, and despite her disability, her determination shines through. Watching her inspires people because she refuses to let her challenges define her. She’s a little bundle of joy with an indomitable will to live and love.”

Porsche drinking milk from bottle.Edgar’s Mission

She adds, “We hope that through her story, people will recognize that animals like Porsche are individuals with rich emotional lives, deserving of compassion and care.”

Porsche’s day begins around 6:30 a.m. with breakfast in bed alongside her best friend, Beatrix Potter. Her meal consists of oaten chaff, a sprinkle of lucerne chaff and a dash of sheep pellets, all served in her cozy straw bedding.

After breakfast, her makeshift booties — kitchen sponges wrapped in bandaging — are put on. Then it’s off to her grassy day pen to soak up the sunshine with Beatrix. Throughout the day, she enjoys hay snacks and, in the evening, returns to the barn for some tea and rest, with lights out around 9 p.m.

“Porsche is remarkably non-judgmental and enjoys the company of everyone — human and non-human alike,” Ahern says. “Her warmth and acceptance serve as a reminder of the simplicity and purity of animals' social interactions. If only we could all be a bit more like her!”

“Her prognosis is positive,” Ahern adds. “We’re working with a prosthetics company in the U.S. to create custom booties for her, which she’ll need several sets of as she grows. Our hope is to fit her with prosthetic booties so she can be off and racing, living her best life here at the sanctuary.”

source: people.com