Pippa Sheep
If you’ve ever visited the Valley, chances are you would have met (and heard!) the absolutely precious Pippa Lamb.
Miss Pip is an ovine extrovert, shouting and smiling at passerbys, offering her head for pats and scratches. Her affection is unlimited, and it is difficult to comprehend a time when Pippa had no smile and no excited shout... but it wasn’t that long ago.
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We don’t know Pip’s story as a tiny lamb, but we do know she was separated from, or lost, her mum early in life. Her behaviour suggests she was hand reared from a newborn, then in some sad twist of fate, ended up advertised on social media - her ‘value’ seen as a swap for a carton of beer.
It was on the beer trade page that she was spotted by a kindly sheep lover, who contacted the Sanctuary to report of the then nameless Pippa’s plight.
On collection, Pippa was LOUD! She was scared, screaming much of the car ride to the Valley, and then through her whole first night. Her separation anxiety was so acute that our initial housing plans were soon scrapped and a pen created at the front door of the house. We soon learnt people were Pippa’s only comfort - no amount of sheep friends seemed to fill the void for her ‘person’.
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Days passed and soon Pippa learnt that while we may walk away, we weren’t ‘leaving’. We reassured her she would never be ‘left’ again. After a month, Pippa still showed no interest in sheep friends, so near the house she played and rested, eagerly awaiting the start of volunteer shifts, smiling and shouting her approval at the humans - her trust unfaltering despite her difficult start.
Pip's Gotcha! Day
February 18, 2020
That look you give when you are on the road to a fresh start.
Welcome to the Valley little Pippa
Best Friends Forever
Pippa & Tristan
Just before Christmas 2020 came Tristan. Tristan was pining for a friend - and Pippa immediately came to mind. For the first day, Tristan followed Pippa and Pippa first looked for people. But after day three, Pippa discovered Tristan wanted to play. Head butting and chases ensued, followed by naps together. Sharing a biscuit of hay became a habit, and soon where there was one, the other wasn’t far behind. This was the beginning of an enduring bond, Pippa had a new reason to shout and smile each day.
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Tristan joined the Possum Valley family on October 4 2020. Sadly, Tristan lost his front left leg following a dog attack. An emergency surgery saved his life, but as he grew bigger he struggled to keep up with his flock mates. Tristan’s owner noticed he was getting a little depressed and he was soon to call Possum Valley home.
Shortly after his arrival at Possum Valley, Tristan met Pippa, and the two swiftly became the best of friends. ​
Hospital friends Pippa and Brownie think that they should be getting some of Matilda-Lyn's lunch. Pippa gets quite vocal about these things!
Pippa leaps for joy as Volunteer Steve cleans her house.
Giving the Gift of Life
Blood Donation
Blood donation saves lives! Not only is this true for our human friends and family, but also for our sheep friends and family
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In July of 2022, elderly sheep Joyce fell gravely ill, and developed a chronic anemia, which was thought to be non-regenerative. The situation was becoming dire and we were running out of options. then, we had a revolutionary idea! Blood Donation.
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While blood donation is safe and common in humans, and several companion animals, it's not commonly performed on sheep, at least not in Western Australia. In consultation with specialist horse vets at Murdoch, we investigated the potential of using this life saving treatment on Joyce. With everything set, we just needed a suitable. Pippa was our life saver!
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Pippa joined Joyce in clinic, and gave her tow separate donations. Thanks to Pippa, Joyce was soon on the way to recovery. ​
Pippa Plate
Special Edition glass Pipa plate, crafted by Kylie Marks and kindly donated to our fundraising efforts
Community Ambassador
Pippa visits Whiteman Park's Envirofest, to help teach people respectful ownership of sheep, and that they are not food
Co-Pilot
Pippa loves a car ride, where she often turns heads of other motorists with her back seat antics and smile
Mystery illness
In June 2023, playful Pippa was reluctant to come in for dinner. It had been a fiercely cold, stormy day, and with torches in hand we carefully led the usually excitable Pip through hail to the warm of the laundry.
Pip was showing neurological signs, so transporting her was not possible given her risk of seizures. With Pip’s vet guiding us on the phone, we hatched an action plan to follow until help could arrive. Pip was stabilised with medication and two hourly checks were undertaken until morning, when Dr Kev and the students from The Animal Hospital could arrive. During thunder and hail, the team huddled around Pip in the laundry, taking blood and stabilising her ready for transport.
By Tuesday night, she was safely admitted in clinic and under the care of Dr Josette and Dr Bridie of West Coast Vet. Pip's condition was still a mystery, but supportive care in clinic saw her back on her hooves, and into Tristan's company
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