A Baby Lamb Named Smokey Takes Up Temporary Residence in New York City and Becomes the Talk of the Town

A little lamb named Smokey, who was once abandoned by his mother and nearly froze to death at the Violet Hill Farm in West Winfield, New York, now lives the life of a trendy Manhattanite, making appearances at cafés and restaurants around the city. Smokey’s foster parents Maxine Cher and Sandy Dee Hall, the manager of Black Tree restaurant, took the little one in when he was only four days old. In an interview with the New York Post, Smokey’s foster parents admitted that, unfortunately, once the little lamb is weaned off his bottle, he will have to move back upstate.

As attached as they’ve become to their lamb, Cher and Hall realize he won’t be little for long. “He’ll grow to be 140 pounds, and his hooves make a lot of noise,” Cher says. “In a New York apartment, with neighbors, that just wouldn’t work.” And so, once Smokey’s weaned from the bottle and eating on his own, he’ll return to Violet Hill — though the couple plans to formally “adopt” him to protect him from ending up as someone’s Easter feast. Meanwhile, Hall’s removed lamb from Black Tree’s menu, and Cher’s sworn off mutton for life.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.