When Lily the lamb got stuck behind a fence, she lost her mom forever. Though she didn't know it at the time, she also gained a friend.

Shortly after being discovered by Suzanne McMurtrie in Palmerston North, New Zealand, Lily was introduced to McMurtrie's dog, a golden Labrador by the name of Shekel.

"The first day we brought the lamb home Shekel went boof on her head wanting to play," McMurtrie recalled to New Zealand's Fairfax Media. "The lamb just rolled over, she's a tough wee thing."

From then on, they've been great friends, playing, eating and sleeping together.

While it isn't clear if Lily knows she's not a dog, she does have an advantage over a spotted lamb in South Australia last year that was taken in by a dalmatian. Both the ewe and the dog share the same trademark black and white spots, leading to a confusing -- though adorable -- relationship.


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