*** R.I.P. Dolly – 16.04.2011 to 08.09.2023 ***

Once again it is with a very heavy heart that I have to report the departure of another much loved resident from our midst. By sheer good fortune I happened to be there and she slipped across the rainbow bridge cradled in my arms.

She arrived with four of her flock mates at the end of May 2022, her carers were moving to Italy so we had the good fortune to take her in. It is no exaggeration to say that I have never seen a more arthritic sheep but her indomitable spirit shone through and she was soon strutting around on her wonky legs as if she owned the place (which, let’s face it, they all do!). For all her chutzpah it became clear that she wasn’t getting enough to eat and was starting to lose condition so I started to feed her on her own away from the others and the transformation was nothing short of miraculous! She went from being able to count her ribs to a proper chonk in next to no time, she was always a bit of a foodie!

Life continued in this way for her until June of this year when it became apparent that she could no longer use her back legs to stand up and was being knocked about by the other sheep who have little or no fellow feeling. No matter, I moved her into the infirmary with our other four barely mobiles and she took to it like a duck to water! She loved all the fuss and the fact that food and water just seemed to turn up like manna from heaven!

She was incredibly independent and needed no help from me in moving to to a cleaner, cooler and drier part of the box but the effort it took left her gasping for breath and I did wonder if it would eventually prove too much for her old ticker and I suspect that tonight it did.

It has been both a privilege and an honour to share the last eighteen months with this gorgeous, friendly and independent sheep and whilst I know sheep can’t smile, I will miss seeing her happy little face around the place. Sleep tight Dolly Daydream, until we meet again…