Maggie Had a Little Lamb

As a child, I was always the envy of my friends because my grandmother worked in the candy department of Strawbridge and Clothier. There wasn’t a visit from Grandmom that didn’t come with chocolate-covered pretzels, pastel melties, and caramel creams.

Today my own kids have an equivalent of this magical visitor in the form of Susie Coston, the National Director of Farm Sanctuary. Susie never comes empty-handed and what she brings is usually either furry or woolly. This March she came with baby lamb, Eliza, in tow. Eliza and her mother were part of Farm Sanctuary’s Cattaraugus County Rescue in March. Upon being rescued, Eliza’s mother was brought to Cornell but sadly she was too compromised to survive, leaving poor Eliza orphaned. Luckily, there was a little girl that was ready and happy to step in as a surrogate mother and round-the-clock bottle-feeder.

My daughter Maggie and Eliza bonded immediately. Maggie fashioned a diaper for Eliza so they could nap together in her bed feeling protected and loved. She played spa music for Eliza until she would fall asleep.

Maggie set up hurdles so her and Eliza could run and jump obstacle courses in the yard.

Round the clock bottle-feeding made it a necessity to include other caregivers, and fortunately there was no shortage of family members that wanted to pitch in.

Family comes in many different forms and for Eliza there is no doubt she’s found hers.

Watch more of Maggie and Eliza’s adventures