Meet fluffy Jake the Peg, Natalie’s little lamb with an extra leg.
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Adorable, happy and affectionate, Jake likes to run fast with the other lambs on Natalie Wright and Bill Noonan’s hobby farm near Meredith.
Natalie said the extra limb does not seem to bother month-old Jake. He has quickly been accepted by two slightly older lamb friends and the dogs on Natalie and Bill’s farm.
“He can run quite good,” Natalie, a Ballarat dog groomer, said. “He’s quite happy to follow me around and he’s pretty affectionate.
“The dogs just love him, they love all the lambs like they’re part of the pack. Jake comes when he’s called, probably because he thinks he’s getting a bottle...he has his little routine in the morning and has a great little personality."
Natalie is determined to ensure Jake has the best life possible. That means an consultation with Werribee Veterinary Hospital on Friday to determine his next step.
Jake’s extra front limb has no movement and just hangs from his body. He has a couple of other little quirks like a floppy ear and slightly misshapen head and jaw.
Born on a sheep farm, Jake was adopted by Natalie and Bill when he was about five days old to be hand-reared, partly to make him easier for vets to handle should he be operated on.
Natalie plans to do whatever it takes – even a crowd-funded campaign, if needed – should it help Jake grow up as a sheep. She thought he might make a good addition to a children’s petting farm one day, because of his loving nature.
RSPCA veterinarian Rebecca Belousoss, who has not examined Jake, said lots of quirkier animals could live full and happy lives. And they might not be as uncommon as you might think.
“It is quite normal to hear of abnormalities in commercially produced animals such as sheep and cows just because of the sheer scale of the number of animals that are born each year,” Ms Belousoss said. “I have heard of cases of calves born with two heads, livestock born with their internal organs on the outside of their bodies and other cases, but these are generally abnormalities that develop for no apparent reason in the embryo, just as they can randomly happen with humans.
“It’s cool to be special and we wish Jake a very happy and long life.”
Cute little Jake is one very special, much-loved lamb.