A spotted lamb on a South Australian farm has been adopted by a Dalmatian after the little ewe was abandoned by its mother, the Associated Press reports.

"I just thought it was hilarious, I just laughed," said farm owner Julie Bolton of the unlikely pair.

According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the dog, which doesn't have puppies of her own, has taken a particular liking to the spotted lamb -- "cleaning it and licking it and mothering it" whenever she can.

For her part, the lamb -- a cross between a pure-bred white Dorper ram and a cross-bred Dorper and Van Rooy ewe -- has happily welcomed all the attention.

"It's a benefit to the lamb," Bolton's husband and fellow farm owner, John, told the AP of the spotty bond.

Dr. Kersti Seksel, a veterinary specialist in behavioral medicine, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that "it's not unusual for dogs to surrogate all manner of animals, including lambs."

The Huffington Post has reported on various canine wonder moms in the past, including a golden retriever that adopted three white tiger cubs and a French bulldog that cared for wild boar piglets.

Though this may not be the first time that a mother animal has welcomed a baby from another species into her fold, John insists that this spotty union is a special one.

"We're not quite sure what we should call it, whether to call it a 'sheep-matian' or a 'Dal-dorper' or something like that but, you know, it doesn't matter how old you get -- if this sort of thing doesn't make you feel good when you see it, then well I hope never to get that old," he said.(SOURCE)