Although worlds apart in their personalities, newborn lambs Gundagai and Milan were united in circumstance.

Only days into this world and little Athens was in trouble. With his human not knowing how to assist, the wee lamb continued to weaken as he failed to suckle from his mumma’s engorged teats.

To say Alaska, Berlin, Lisbon and Baja were in terrible shape when surrendered into our care is an understatement. Coming closer to a more accurate description is they are amongst the sickest little lambs we have met.

When Joaquin Phoenix won his Oscar for Best Actor in 2020 for the movie Joker, he quoted some of the most powerful words that fire the best of humanity. They were taken from a song his late brother, River, wrote as a teen.

With her little eyes glowing white through septic uveitis, India was surrendered into our care. And although this had caused her blindness, she could most certainly feel our kindness.

At just three days old, the scrawny little hypothermic lamb we cradled in a heat blanket was far from out of the woods. His eyes made sleepy not through lack of it, but rather his body commencing to shut down.

As the evening skies began to fulfill the promise of the ominous weather alerts our phones kept reminding us of throughout the day

Meet Kath and Kim, two gentle young ewes who instantly stole our hearts.

Last night we took a call to assist a cow downed in a bog. A mirky mire that had claimed her for at least a day.

Amidst graziers’ alerts and frost warnings, three dear ewes were carried into our barn.

When kindness counted her tally for the day last Saturday, no doubt she would have included the benevolent act that saved the life of the wee lamb we have named Adelaide.

Feeling the potency of a predator attack was the soft, moist tongue of the newborn lamb we have named Cincinnati.

Some days we wonder how we humans have arrived at where we are in our chequered relationship with animals. And then some days we realise that we can lament the past, accepting that we had no hand in that; our only hand lies in shaping the present.

It was an image that will never leave our hearts. The one of the mother standing over her newborn child.

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Little did we know that Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ short stay with us was to be anything but. An aged dairy cow at the end of her useful life, and having prolapsed after her last calving, a lifeline had been thrown to dear Lucy.

Separated from her family and friends by what terror, we shall never know – but clearly, the little grey kid goat surely did. She told such a tale as she raced across the pound yard towards the only familiar figure she could find.

Why he is now good and why we should be as well.

Our first introduction to the wee little lamb with the sweetest of faces, the one who we would name Sarsaparilla, came by way of an appeal for help, along with a video of her stoically trying to keep up with her dear mumma.

Only moments into our care, two little orphan lambs named Micky and Mini, without words, began to tell us about themselves.

Hugs for Harriet.

Struck by a vehicle which almost claimed his life, the young and injured pig was struck again.

Paddy finds his voice, and his story can help us find ours.

Far from shrinking, meet Violet.

With his glistening red comb flopped outrageously over his eyes and his body ensconced by the most silky soft of feather boas, made of the real deal, Earl’s haute couture may not look out of step on the catwalk of Fashion Week or even the cover of Vogue.

Whilst it is hard to define, it is easy to feel, just what makes Special special. For it takes but a moment with this happy-go-lucky little chap to intuit this.

Having difficultly seeing his new world around him, at first Peaky Blinders would scoot away at the mere hint of our presence. But now not so.

Within metres of the road the tiny bird fluttered and flipped. At first thought to be a grey pigeon clipped by a fast-moving car.

As farmed animals, in the scheme of things, it never ends well for them. And every action thus far afforded this mother and child had fuelled their point of view.

Around 4.40 pm on the 11th of January 2023, hope met the reality of our promise, as the last Silkie rooster was removed from the tiny wire prison that had been his home for heaven knows how long.