LITTLE lamb Poppie takes Fred French Masonic Home resident Margaret Beresford back to her childhood.
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‘‘She’s another Kate,’’ Mrs Beresford said, eager to hold the friendly lamb which reminded her of a beloved childhood pet.
Mrs Beresford explained she grew up in the Scottish isles as one of six girls.
Her sisters and their brother would sneak Kate into their beds.
An eight-year-old Mrs Beresford used to even ride her pet sheep.
‘‘My parents used to say if we took any more pets into the house we’d be put out to live in the paddock,’’ Mrs Beresford said, laughing.
Poppie’s owner, Amanda Boxhall, said the friendly pet had visited the Newstead nursing home about three times, first dropping in at eight days old.
She said it gave her great joy to see the happiness on residents’ faces when the red-ribboned, nappy-wearing Poppie gave them a cuddle.
Ms Boxhall said she assumed the lamb was the third of triplets born one day premature.
Ms Boxhall was forced to hand-rear the orphan lamb when she was rejected by her mother.
Ms Boxhall said Poppie would continue to visit eager residents of Fred French until it was ready to join the flock.
Fred French Masonic Home clinical nurse manager Sandra Burris said visits by animals like Poppie were important to the home’s residents.
‘‘It just makes their day,’’ she said.