Little Maddison the lamb has recently been accepted into a large, loving, multi-species family, but not so long ago, she was completely unwanted.

Madison, better known as Maddie, was born earlier this year on a farm in Canada. Her birth was timed to take place right before the forthcoming Easter market. She was to be butchered and sold when she was just a few months old and big but not too big.

But things didn’t turn out as expected.

First of all, a day after giving birth, Maddie’s mother died from complications. Second, the farmer felt a little disappointed with Maddie.

Megan Mostacci, the cofounder of Black Goat Farm and Sanctuary in Ontario, Canada, said that the goat was too small to be worth the time and money spent on formula because she wouldn’t reach market weight in due time.

Maddie wasn’t worth keeping for breeding either because she would probably give birth to tiny children as well. Also, the farmer said her wool “wasn’t great.”

A blue mark was spray-painted on Maddie, indicating that she was intended for sale. Instead, Mostacci was able to secure the delivery of the undesirable lamb.

When Maddie first arrived at the sanctuary in March, she instantly experienced a lovely moment with an Australian shepherd called Lincoln in her new home.

Lincoln began licking Maddie as soon as she entered the house, standing by her tiny bucket to keep the other dogs and cats away from her, according to Mostacci. Maddie “basically just lazed about with Lincoln” for the first four days since she was so weak.

At the sanctuary, Lincoln is accustomed to playing the role of big brother to many different rescued animals. He seems to aid Maddie in moving past her traumatic history in her case. Maddie’s canine older brother helped her get moving quickly, and soon she was running.

To make Maddie more at ease, Mostacci also gave her a tiny plush lamb. Lincoln, however, had other ideas for Maddie’s toy, just like any older brother would.

“We thought she might feel better if she cuddled with a lamb plush,” Mostacci added. Lincoln and she were frequently at odds over the stuffy because he kept stealing it from her.

The feeble lamb may have gained strength in part thanks to Lincoln’s game of keep-away. The two soon established a daily routine of playing and running in the yard.

Mostacci recalls how she burst out laughing when she first saw the game.

She recalled, “One day I went out and saw him dashing around the yard with Maddie right behind him. Lincoln must have taken Maddie’s stuffy and slipped it outside.” He might have easily outrun her, but he chose to stay near and play the situation cleverly.

Lincoln knows that Maddie will chase him if he steals her plush lamb and flees, so he’s very careful not to get too far ahead, Mostacci wrote on Facebook when she posted one video of the game. “They are so precious… we have had people stop over and watch them!” she exclaimed.

When Maddie sought to join a group of ducks on the farm, she discovered that not everyone is as taken with her as Lincoln is.

This may make Maddie even more appreciative of her relationship with Lincoln.

Lincoln is barely out of reach because Maddie, who is approximately a month old, is growing faster than she is, Mostacci noted. He always returns the toy at the conclusion of the game, but it appears like Maddie wants him to steal it and flee so that she can pursue him.

But the two don’t only play; they also enjoy taking turns napping together since they understand how important it is.

When they aren’t playing, Mostacci observed, “they are hugging and washing each other’s ears.”