On the move in Market Drayton: Lamby the disabled sheep gets her own wheels

Alistair Jenkin, 73, found Lamby in a field when she was only two days old, and he has been caring for her ever since.

Eight-month-old Lamby was thought to have been abandoned by her mother, and one of her legs appeared to have been trodden on.

Her leg was splintered and had developed abscesses. It took so long to heal she forgot how to walk.

So Mr Jenkin, from Market Drayton, took matters into his own hands, and built a wheelchair out of scrap wood. However, it was found to be too cumbersome for Lamby, and weighed her small frame down.

Lamby now walks around with the help of a wheelchair that is specially designed for pets.

Mr Jenkin, a retired mechanic, said: “I found poor Lamby in a field close to my home, and I noticed that she was all alone, and her leg was badly injured.

"I took her home to look after her as it was clear that she had been abandoned – I couldn’t just leave her all alone with a poorly leg, who knows what would have happened to her.

“After taking her to the vets we found she had a broken leg, which had developed painful abscesses.

“It took so long for her broken leg to recover that she completely forgot how to walk, and now walks cross-legged. I decided to build Lamby her very own wheelchair from scrap wood and wheels that I had lying around, and even though it helped her to walk, it was far too heavy for her little frame.”

Mr Jenkin, who also owns two rescue cats and a rabbit, researched online for alternatives to help Lamby walk, and came across Wheels4dogs, a website offering specially designed wheelchairs for pets.

He added: “As soon as I saw the website, I knew that these wheelchairs were exactly what Lamby needed.”

“It’s very lightweight but sturdy, so she can run around freely without a care in the world.

“Lamby loves her new wheelchair, and it’s lovely to be able to see her move so freely.

“Her bones are permanently stiff, which requires physiotherapy, which I hope will improve the condition of them.

“She may never be able to walk independently, which is a shame, but has never let her disability upset her or stop her from having fun.

“She is a truly special lamb, with a one of a kind personality.”

Wheels4dogs is a company providing wheelchairs to a range of animals including dogs, cats, rabbits and sheep.

Becky Neal, owner of Wheels4dogs, said: “Alistair got in contact with me to inquire if one of my wheelchairs would suit a sheep, and thankfully I have already had some successful sheep wheelchair users.

“Due to Lamby’s mobility, she needed one of my ‘Quad’ wheelchairs with four wheels.

“Alistair reported back to me that Lamby is doing really well on her wheels, and he is really impressed with them.

“My business is very unique, as I’m really pleased that I’ve been able to help a wide range of pets be able to walk, run and play again.”