Everyone who’s had the privilege of experiencing the miracle of birth knows that it can be messy and it doesn’t always follow a prescribed schedule.

Mixed into the excitement and joy, there’s always a twinge of anxiety in the air until it’s assured that the birth went well.

And that’s exactly how Amy Hill felt when her 10-year-old sheep Dotty was expecting lambs.

It’s not like there was a reason to think anything would go wrong—Dotty had given birth several times before and had always produced healthy offspring—but this time, everything would be different.

Sonwy River Farms in Nova Scotia, Canada raises animals without using genetically modified crops, and the animals are taken care of in a humane and ecologically friendly manner.

The farm has many animals, but Amy Hill has always held Dotty in special place in her heart, as she was Amy’s first female sheep.

“She started my love of sheep, she is my best ewe friend and she means the world to me,” Amy wrote on Facebook.