Charles and Graham have a special bond. Photo / Gareth Richards
Charles and Graham have a special bond. Photo / Gareth Richards
Graham the lamb and Charles the dog rarely go anywhere without each other.
The odd couple became minor celebrities online after Onemana resident Tricia Dickey-Mcclain saw them hanging out on the turnoff to the small coastal town near Whangamatā.
"I opened up my car door to see if the doghad a collar on and they both just jumped in. I wasn't sure what to do so I posted to Facebook to see if I could find the parents," she said.
"They were very sweet, the lamb wouldn't go anywhere without the dog. They were attached at the hip."
Much to the disappointment of Tricia's daughters, owner Gareth Richards was located at a nearby dairy farm and the pair were delivered back to sleep side-by-side in the same kennel.
Gareth had needed to rush his partner Toni to Thames Hospital after an accident requiring stitches to her leg, and didn't have time to put them in their kennel before he left.
He said Charlie is a working dog that should work with sheep but only knows dairy farms, "so he doesn't associate sheep with chasing sheep".
The lamb was an orphan from his partner's dad's farm and was named Graham - "he just looked like a Graham" - and settled in easily with the crew.
Charles and Graham back home safe on the farm in Whangamatā. Photo / Gareth Richards
"We do have a bit of a zoo here - cows, dogs, cats, goat and lamb. He was by himself and had no mates so he started hanging out with the animals," said Gareth.
"These two have kennels beside each other and Graham hangs out with him most of the day."
The pair roam the lawn and Graham tries to go ratting with Charlie "but he's not very successful at that", said Gareth.
At milking time they both turn up at the shed.
"Graham still gets a bottle of milk and Charles gets a saucer."
It was past dinner time when Toni hurt her leg. Gareth says they were probably wondering where their dinner was so they went looking for someone else to give them a feed.
It was a happy ending for all involved, with Toni back from hospital and Graham and Charles back on the farm.
In a Facebook post on their safe return, Kate Rowley summed it up: "I think this is the most Kiwi thing I've ever seen."
