Golden retrievers Lily, Boris, and Darcy are no strangers to fame.
All three dogs are models and animal actors who specialize in doing tricks and getting along with just about everyone, even farm animals! Now, thanks to a video their owner shared on TikTok, they can add “viral stardom” to their resumes, too.
The U.K.-based trio live together on a farm, so they’re used to the various sheep, cows, and chickens who share their home. They’re all licensed therapy dogs with strong nurturing instincts, so the fact that Lily is now the proud mother of a lamb named Benny should come as no surprise!
It all began when a ewe gave birth to three lambs. Sadly, as is sometimes the case in the animal world, the mama sheep wasn’t able to care for all of her babies, so she rejected Benny, who was the smallest of them all.
Poor little Benny was sad and refused to eat… until Lily took it upon herself to become his new mama!
Lily is an older dog at age 9, and her owner said she has always been gentle and protective of those around her. Her modeling page describes her as “thoughtful and calm natured” with a temperament to match her outward beauty. That sweet nature is on full display whenever Benny is around!
As soon as Lily started mothering the lamb, he perked up and started eating again. Lily even attempted to nurse him herself, so their humans began feeding him bottles while he was cuddled up against her furry belly. These days, the dog cleans Benny, plays with him, and pushes other animals away from him if they’re too rough.
“Family isn’t always what you are born into,” their owner wrote on TikTok. “Lily will always love Benny as her own. Benny will always love his mum Lily. He will never experience loneliness and rejection again.”
Benny, which is short for Bennedict CurlyPatch, is now happy as can be with his adopted canine family. His human said she couldn’t be more grateful to Lily for being the mother this baby needed.
“She’s protected me for the last nine years from the unthinkable, all she knows is how to love and protect,” she wrote on Instagram. “Thank you, Lily, for showing Benny he is NOT alone and that he IS loved. He really needed a new mummy. He is now thriving with you by his side.”
Sometimes you really can choose your own family, and Lily and Benny are living proof. Just look at how much they adore one another!
Watch Lily and Benny dote on each other in the video below, and don’t forget to share this story.
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