The Llamas are coming! The Llamas are coming!

So it's official! We are officially approved as a SELR adoptive home!

Yes folks! Within the next month or so we will be bringing on 2 new four legged family members to our farm! It is a bit of a fulfillment of a dream to live with llamas and now it is really going to happen (double fingers crossed not to jinx it)!

Why llamas you ask? (Or as my husband asks- Why llamas? in a dejected monotone voice). I don't know. Because they are cool.

They are larger than goats and sheep so I don't have to stay up all night worrying (as much) about predatory attacks. And they are not as large as horses who usually don't know their own power.

Llamas are brilliant, quiet, stoic creatures who form life long bonds.

And NO, they do not spit (unless provoked or are harassed like this ridiculous kid and her obviously intellectually challenged father who in my opinion both need to be taken out and horsed whipped). Sorry, stupid people annoy me.

Besides who can resist big eyes like this?

Or a face like this?

I actually began thinking about Llamas about 5 few years ago and bought this book. Very informative and a great intro to llamas.

And now that we have the facilities, I began doing a little research online about availability. And that's how I found SELR.

I have been fooling around with horses long enough to know- I do not know anything about animals. So to go out and purchase a set of llamas (like they are pair side tables.... right?) seemed a little dumb. And that is why SELR appealed to me. SELR is a nonprofit made up of a group of enthusiasts, veterinarians, and professionals who have been working with camelids for years. The majority of the animals they acquire are surrendered by owners who are no longer able/willing to care for them. Only a few are abuse and neglect cases and the majority of those guys are kept in house through an EXTENSIVE network of individual volunteer farms.

Sounds pretty cool. So I started chatting with my husband about it and believe it or not, it was his idea to submit an application for adoption. Wow! (Although I understand this does not mean he is in any way excited about the prospect.) But I am :-)

The SELR rep who visited our farm is Deborah Logan. She is extremely knowledgeable about llamas and seems very attuned to our needs (we are first time llama parents, already have 2 rescue horses, and have a small child). She asked us a few questions about what we are looking for in a llama (age, sex, fiber quality, etc.) and I told her she knew more than me. Just bring us two llamas :-)

And so she will. As we speak, she is now searching her network. Finding us the perfect guys (or gals) to add to our four legged family!

SELR's network extends from Maryland to Florida and as far west as Texas. If your state does not fall in SELR's territory and you are interested in adopting, please contact SELR and they can direct you to sister organizations.

(All photos courtesy SELR facebook page)