Carmen the lamb took its first steps in a prosthetic limb Monday morning.

The prosthesis was donated and fitted by Dean Barrett, manager, prosthetist and orthotist at the Grass Valley Hanger.

At two days-old, Carmen broke her leg on a small, family farm in rural Nevada County where an elderly couple used sheep as weed eaters, according to Animal Place Executive Director Kim Sturla.

Carmen limped and stumbled around the six-acre farm on a broken, infected leg for two weeks. The elderly couple reportedly would not treat the injured young sheep, so the neighbors convinced them to sign Carmen over to Animal Place.

Near death, with a massive infection raging through her damaged leg, Carmen was rushed to a veterinary hospital for treatment.

"We immediately rushed the lamb to UC Davis," said Jamie London, Animal Care Manager, "She spent a week receiving intense medical care, including two emergency surgeries. Despite our best efforts, the leg was so badly infected, so broken, that it had died and needed to be amputated."

Althouh Barrett designed the prosthetic to allow for growth, because Carmen is young, she will need several specially fitted prosthetic legs until adulthood.

Founded in 1989 Animal Place is one of the oldest and largest sanctuaries for farmed animals in the country, operating two facilities in northern California. Nestled on 600-acres in Grass Valley, Animal Place's primary sanctuary provides refuge to hundreds of neglected farmed animals.

To contact Staff Writer Christopher Rosacker, e-mail crosacker@theunion.com or call (530) 477-4236.