Pearl (part 2)

Click here to read part 1 and find out how a runt newborn lamb got to the city...

Part 2:
​Within the matter of a few days of Pearl’s arrival we realized she was not thriving, so we called the University of MN veterinarian / residency program and they heartily agreed to see her.

I pulled up to the University and opened the back hatch of my vehicle. Pearl was snuggled in a big cardboard box with blankets.

The lady doctor who met me outside was seemingly excited. She examined Pearl in the vehicle and then fetched some syringes of vitamins and saline and gave me strict lamb doctoring instructions.

My gentleman farmer came home to find me holding Pearl like a baby and gingerly administering nourishing vitamin and hydration supplement doses.

My city friends were all intrigued. We had many visitors.

We included Pearl in our day to day life.

We read books to Pearl, she walked around our home like she owned the place in her diaper.

She sat in the warm spring sun in our chain link fenced city yard, and ventured out to a nearby park a couple of times with us.

Pearl was was weak, slept a lot, ate little, but oh she loved the attention. She would purr, romp around a wee bit in the grass and loved to snuggle any chance she got.

My boys were about 2 and 5 at the time, and told everyone they came across that we had a pet lamb including the preschool teacher, barista at Starbucks and cashier at Target. Most people smiled and would look at me and I’d nod and say, “we do” - but only if I had time to explain, which was necessary 100% of the time.

A few days later Pearl and I trekked back to the University. This time the lady doctor was joined by not one, but six students in matching polo shirts and wearing name tags.

They were waiting for me.

I stepped away as the 7 of them hovered over Pearl who was in the back of my vehicle.

They all took notes and discussed what could be wrong and various scenarios.

Even these veterinarians-to-be were intrigued by this little runt lamb.

Unfortunately - she continued to go down hill and we made the sad decision that almost all pet owners, at some point, have to make.

I drove Pearl back to the University one last time, and the lady doctor took her box out of my vehicle and asked if I wanted to say good bye.

I petted Pearl and she purred and snuggled my hand.

The lady doctor told me they would do an autopsy, and use the findings in their studies. Perhaps Pearl’s circumstances would help train a vet student who could care for another little lamb, and have a better outcome she said sympathetically.

I acted tough, but cried the whole way home.

Pearl’s short life was full of soft blankets, cuddles, warm bottles filled with specialized lamb formula, vitamins and hydration supplements. We truly gave it our all.

She slept in a clean blanketed cardboard box bed, had warm baths, played in a green grass filled yard & enjoyed the city parks. A different life perhaps for a runt lamb than otherwise.

I like to think I perhaps brought a little cappuccino to her life.

She absolutely brought a little cornfield into mine.